In Her Life
by AtomicFire
Summary: Age is but a number. Sometimes what we need comes after we have long decided it was impossible.
1. Chapter 1

_**In Her Life**_

AN: This came to me for two reasons... a line in _StD: Diablo_ by Epic Quest INC (and thanks to them for the amazing tale) and some works I saw on DeviantArt of a certain rarely seen, but very beautiful, KP universe character. Have at me all you want for this pairing, but remember that imagination is why we are all here writing in the first place. Don't own any of it, except the idea for the pairing, that belongs to the odd part of my brain I don't let out much, for obvious reasons. This is AU after StD.

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Chapter 1 

I.

She was deep under Middleton, buried by miles of rock and earth, but she felt buried more by her duty.

The debriefing had gone well as she expected.

Team Possible had defeated Dementor... _no, it had probably been Ronald that defeated that twisted man's army, but as usual Miss Possible took the credit for the success._ She never let it show, but sometimes the natural 'Kimness' of Miss Possible drove her mad... _There's no 'I' in team after all._

Dr. Betty Director dismissed the two, as they left she overheard Kimberly 'gushing' about some guy named Steven in her dorm.

Being that her doctorate was in psychology she easily caught the look of sharp pain that offhand remark gave to Ronald... _Wait, aren't they together? They kissed at their prom, started dating and they've roomed together at Upperton University for the past two years, something has changed. It may affect mission performance if the look on Ronald's face is any indication. I will have to have a discussion with him soon, alone. _

For some strange reason, the thought that Kim had hurt Ron made her angry... it was a small feeling in the back of her mind, but it disturbed her.

Refocusing on the reports at hand the business of keeping the globe safe moved forward.

II.

The workday was ending, as director of Global Justice she could actually work 'bankers hours' if she wished. She usually didn't as her worry was always for the agents out in the field and the villains and terrorists that made sending them out necessary, today was different.

Ever since she had finished debriefing Ron and Kim she had been dealing with an unnatural fixation on the blonde man. _Man, now that's the correct term for him. _

As she put away the sensitive documents that made up the piles on the desk her mind wandered back to the first time she had seen Ronald Dean Stoppable. He had appeared before her with Kim Possible looking like her complete opposite, her outfit had been sleek and form fitting. His had appeared two sizes too big for him, the belts he wore not really helping his pants to stay up at all. Disheveled blonde hair, chocolate brown eyes and a lanky build had rounded out the impression. The randomness of the boy had shocked her, he appeared to be the South to Possible's focused and hard driven North, polar opposites.

The Ron Factor project had revealed many things about him, hidden depths of loyalty and courage. He was someone with the potential to do great things even if his outward appearance at the time seemed to deny it. So much had been revealed that she had kept the project open, with much less surveillance but she still looked at the file from time to time, she cursed her decision to not monitor his relationships as a part of it... _he deserved that privacy though._

She could hardly believe he was 21 now. Instead of five foot six he now stood a full six foot two inches, he sported a medium muscular build that she had admired the last time _Team_ Possible had visited the GJ infirmary. His freckles had faded but never truly left, leaving him with a boyish face, the eyes were still chocolate brown but now seemed deeper. The hair was still as golden blonde, still as disheveled but it seemed to fit the whole package now, the sideburns looked cute too. His mission clothes had changed too, combat boots, SWAT Tactical pants in black and an black commando sweater was the norm now with a tight fitting leather belt encircling his waist hung with pouches for his gear... he never lost his pants these days that she had heard as all his clothes fit him perfectly.

The biggest change though had been in his outward image. He walked with confidence now, no more the stumbling fool, he had grown into hands and feet that had once seemed two sizes too big. _Two summers at Yamunuchi can do wonders_... Betty remembered herself at Ron's age and smiled. His goofy grin was still there but now hid a mind that could see a solution to any problem, he could think outside the box better than any of her regular agents... if he would only step away from Possible he could soar. _If only I'd had a partner like Ron when I was Kim's age, what I could have done... I never had that person I could trust unconditionally. Ron could be one of the greatest GJ agents ever... down to earth, a master of Tai Shing Pek Kwar, wielder of a mythical blade and in possession of a warm, loving heart... now where did that last though come from! He may as well be one of my agents, I can't think about him like that... can I? _A small part of her mind admitted that he could be the one she had looked for all her life.

_He is always there for Kim, she knows if she gets in too deep he will move heaven and earth to make sure she is safe and the mission is complete. I needed someone like that then and I still need that person now. _The admittance of this truth made her head slowly fell to her desk, after a minute of quiet contemplation she sat up straight and stiffened her features..._ no time for 'if onlys'._

The report from Team Possible's latest mission was on her desk now and it confirmed her earlier suspicions. Kim had dealt with Dementor and his personal bodyguard of four herself but Ron had been the one that had disabled twenty, **_twenty _**henchmen, the death ray and walked away with minor bruises only. During the debrief Ron had never mentioned that, it only came up today as her agents reviewed the security tapes Dementor kept._ I knew he had done the better part of the work, you deserve a better partner than Possible... oh maybe me..._

Betty snapped herself off of her train of thought, she had an agency to think of, a globe to defend. Her needs came second, always.

_I need a drink and I need to relax in that order._

III.

The travel tubes dropped her outside Maxwell's, a pub owned by a former Global Justice agent in downtown Upperton not far from her apartment. Jimmy had made good after losing a leg against that bastard Killigan. Betty thought back to all the people like that she knew, all sent out on her orders. _It's a wonder I'm not an alcoholic._

She was recognized at the door with a hearty greeting bellow by the assembled patrons, it had taken a few tongue lashings but everyone had finally gotten the point that when she was in Maxwell's she was Betty, not the boss or Director, or Dr. Director, just Betty. It was a sign of how much her agents respected her that they gave her that and she loved them for it, she could be herself here.

Some of the leers she got as she walked to the bar made her smile. She knew at 41 she was no longer a young woman, but her active lifestyle and long days with skipped meals gave her an advantage over most. Letting her hips sway a bit more in a small show of triumph she made her way forward.

Placing her foot on the brass rail she smiled and greeted the bartender, "Jimmy! How are you doing? Business good?"

Taking a break from slingin' suds Jimmy smiled at his former boss, "Betty I'm doing better than fine 'cause the place is hoppin', the usual for you?"

"Yep, it's needed, it was a _good_ day... remember those?" Betty said with an eye roll for added effect.

Jimmy couldn't help but laugh as he drew her a Guinness , "Yeah, I remember those, makes me wonder why I didn't do this from day one!"

She paid for her stout, "Say Hi to Carol and the kids for me." Jimmy waved as she made her way deeper into the pub, the music calming her as she greeted her coworkers and local police officers she knew with nods and smiles, the stress of the day bleeding off as she drank the brew.

IV.

Near the back of the pub she slid into her favorite booth without looking...

"Dr. Director! Badical meeting you here."

Without looking she knew, the voice... that low, deep tone that seemed to send a smile with every word. She remembered Kim's term for it from the Ron Factor files... Ron-shine. Her heart fluttered a bit startling her... _it's the alcohol, been a long day with nothing in my stomach and I'm a bit tired, that's all._

She turned to face the other occupant with a warm smile.

"Stoppable! Good to see you... and its Betty when we're here. I get to be myself here." She admonished the man before her in the booth.

"Ok Betty, but no calling me 'Stoppable', only Shego does that," Ron let out with a smirk, "it's Ron and you already know Rufus." He said waving his hand at the a pink blur working through a large plate of nachos on the table.

Rufus poked his head up and waved at the newcomer, "hnuk Hi Betty!" Before diving back into the cheese covered chips with gusto.

As many times as she experienced it, Rufus talking to her had always amazed Betty, "Hi Rufus," she rubbed the back of the pink rodent gently with a finger as she addressed his master, "so, you discovered our official GJ watering hole?"

"Yeah, when I turned 21 four months back the guys on the weapons course I was taking, and thanks for getting me in on that by the way, decided I should get good and sloppy so they brought me here. Considering what had happened a few days before I made the most of the opportunity... that was one wild night." The smile on his face was brittle. "I really like the atmosphere and the people so I keep coming back when I need time away from the dorm, which these days is a lot."

"Ron, could I ask what happened? I noticed this morning the pained look on your face when Kimberly mentioned some guy. I'd like to think that we are friends, if you need to talk I'm here for you." Slowly she moved a hand across the table and took hold of one of his.

She saw a look of pain cross his features before he settled into a fragile smirk, "Betty, someone as important as you doesn't need to hear the trials of a loser."

The grip on his had tightened until she could hear him gasp, she spoke to him in a low venomous rasp... _whatever Possible did to him was worse than I thought, his self esteem is shot_, "You are not and have never been a loser Ronald Dean Stoppable. I have seen every bit of research done on you via the Ron Factor project, it never really ended you know." She saw his eyes widen in shock. She continued in a low voice, her eye boring into his two. "Oh yes, I know all about your trips back to Yamunuchi, I know of your mastery of Tai Shing Pek Kwar and your status of keeper of the Lotus Blade. I saw your scores from the weapons training and I've seen you practicing your skills, just this afternoon I read a report about you knocking off twenty henchmen and a death ray with only a few bruises and I'm not going to go into your personal wealth... you are many things Ron, but a loser is never, ever one of them! What in the devil happened between you and Possible to make you think such drivel?"

"Assuming you really do want to hear it, its a long story." He responded, cheeks a deep red.

"Ron, I really want to hear what happened. I'm your friend, I know who and what you are... in short you are a good man, that means a lot coming from me. I want to hear this, I want to help you if I can because to tell the truth people like you are what gives me hope someday we won't need Global Justice, someday we'll win for good."

He looked surprised, his smile became a bit stronger, "Ok, ok... I'll spill, let me order a few more pints and some more nachos, this is going to be a long one, I'm buying."

"Don't think I like you for your money Ron." She laughed giving his hand one final squeeze before releasing it as he stood.

"Good to know Betty, I'll be right back."

She had to look as he walked away from the booth towards the bar, at six foot two inches he wasn't that much taller than her own five foot eight. He had on blue jeans that seemed made for him, the wear spots showing that they had been his for a while. She felt her cheeks colour and her midsection tingle as she let her gaze linger on his firm looking ass as she traveled his body. A white fitted T-shirt covered the rest of him, the cotton skimming him in all the right places and a pair of brown leather hiking boots finished the package... _nope, definitely not a loser, but would he have anything to do with me?_

Again she drifted back to thoughts of what could have been if someone like Ron had been a part of her life twenty years ago... _no good thinking like this, it's not twenty years ago, never will be again and Ron wasn't there, all I'm doing is causing myself pain... but maybe he could be a part of my life now, better late than never. _A smile crossed her lips as she realized it might work, sure she was 20 years his senior, but she didn't look a day over 30 herself and she could still hold her own in a fight with any of her agents. _Heck I bet I could give the mighty Kim Possible herself a run for her money, age is only just a number._ She could have not just _someone_ like Ron in her life, she could have the real thing.

Banishing the thoughts from her mind for the moment she focused on the immediate concern, what had Kim Possible done to _her_ warrior to damage him like this?

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AN1: Yeah, I'm going where everyone thinks I'm going. Only comment: Age is but a number. And yes, Dr. Betty Director is a very nicely drawn woman! The eye patch doesn't hurt a thing, gives her that edge. Hey, what can I say I have weird tastes. Betty being emotional? Well command is lonely, and she's been a leader for a long time the way I see her, it's natural no matter how trained we are to have thoughts like that, to realize what we have missed and what it could have meant. Some people just get to act on them.

AN2: Ron's mission gear at age 21 would include Danner Ft. Lewis Duty Boots, SWAT Tactical Uniform Trousers (black), 5.11 Tactical Muscle Mapping Shirt (black), Nomex Flight Gloves (black), and a Commando Rib Sweater (black)... all of this can be found at a favorite online store of mine. If you figure out the store you can imagine all the great pouches that could be hanging on Ron's belt from the same place.

Read and review, please and thank you!


	2. Chapter 2

_**In Her Life**_

Thanks to my reviewers: JPElles, conan98002, momike, Brimmstone (yep, its US Cavalry), JPMod, GargoyleSama, CajunBear73, peacekeeperchuck, Zaratan, Altharus, Alice Shade, kemiztri, Evolved, Bubbahotek and spectre666. All of your reviews were welcome and appreciated, keep 'em coming!

If you are looking for some great readage you should check out some of my current favorites! On the K-T side of KP we have _Biology, or Chemistry_ by Whisper from the Shadows and on the M side we have _World's Best Assassin_ by Pat Squared. Both great fics that this avid reader really enjoys!

AN: The rights to Kim Possible are not in my possession. Warning to all that worship Kim: You ain't gonna like this. Do not say you haven't been warned, and no I don't really have anything against Kimmie... well, outside of this story. I ask that you please read this through to the end with an open mind, ideas for this chapter were considered and reconsidered and I feel this outcome is possible. Enjoy! Once again this is an AU after StD.

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_Chapter 2_

I.

A tray was placed on the table with four new pints of stout and two plates of nachos, one plate found its way over to Rufus who immediately dove right in ignoring the fact that he was with company. Ron chuckled at the antics of his best friend. He sat the other plate down in front of his companion for the evening.

"Now scarf some nachos Betty, I'm willing to bet you're one of those people that works all day and forgets to eat, right?"

She gave him a sheepish smile, "Yes, I usually do." She pulled a nacho covered in cheese sauce and toppings off the plate and ate it. Not usually one for Tex-Mex she was pleasantly suprised, it was very good, good enough she commented on it to Ron.

"Well you can thank the Ronster for that, after that first night here I got to know Jimmy. Seems he had always wanted to meet me since I played smack monkey with Duff. I gave him some pointers on his menu in exchange for some time in his kitchen as extra credit for my diploma, it seems to be a fair trade." He smiled as a clump of chips and cheese was consigned to his maw.

"I keep forgetting how good with food you are Ron. Everyone at GJ still raves over the cinnamon buns you made that last day of the weapons course." She said with a smile as she finished licking some cheese off her fingertips.

They both ate in silence, the large pile of nachos was slowly reduced to a spot of cheese and some crumbs on a large white plate between them. Betty was suprised how hungry she had been, it had become hard to maintain her impeccable table manners. Over the years as first a teen hero, then a government agent and finally as a leader in the fight against global terror she had acquired certain skills that had nothing to do with trashing lairs, stealth infiltration tactics, or even the ability to make her own bullets... those skills mainly revolved around social functions. Being the director of Global Justice meant that at least once a month she was force to dress up, or worse wear her dress uniform, and put in an appearance at certain functions. A state dinner here, a formal ball there... Washington DC, London, New York... all alone, just her and a flute of champagne. She had always loathed it, those 'duties' took her away from her agents, made it so she could not share the risks with them, could not show that she cared. There were always a few unattached military officers or office rats around and some had been sampled over the years, but all had left her wanting. She may as well have been a nun for all the love she had felt. As she made sly glances at the man across from her wiping cheese off his chin with a napkin her mind considered what the future might hold. She then remembered her duty as she had earlier at her desk, but now it felt like her duty was here too. _One person hurting, helping that person may help the greater good. Foolishness! Justifying a crush! I wonder what Dad and Grampa would say about that... but then they always made sure I was happy first and foremost no matter what job they had, they would set aside the world for me, maybe I can set it aside for him? NO, focus on finding out what's wrong first, help him, then start getting closer! I wonder why he's so tense?_

II.

Ron could not help but go over what was happening in his mind again and again. He knew what he had to do was wrong. From missions and work with Global Justice over the years he had a deep respect for Betty Director and the agents she led. He looked at the woman seated across the table from him. _She always looks so pretty, that dark hair cut just down to her neck, and somehow that eyepatch just makes her more... interesting. Dark eye, dark hair, those full lips. No wonder I always felt so nervous around her... she's beautiful, inside and out. I hate to do this, but I can't risk not knowing and ending up with more trouble than I already have. _

He proceeded to acquire the information.

_That answers that question, I'm free to speak, no threat here... woah, she doesn't... she does..._

Ron let a smile cross his face, she had earned that... _and possibly much more if she'll forgive me for what I've done._

III.

Betty saw his shoulders drop slightly, his face lost some of the rigidity it had since she'd arrived, he actually smiled at her. _Something's changed, he's more open to me but still wary, better take advantage of the opening._

She took a drink from the glass before her, liquid courage, she knew the next thing she did would be hard for him, but would be worth the pain in the long run.

Betty spoke in a firm, nearly commanding tone, "Ron, please tell me what has happened between you and Kim."

Ron's handsome face contorted into a grimace as he ordered his thoughts in response to her query, his shoulders braced as though he were facing his execution.

He took a long pull off his glass, sat it down and placed his hands on the table in front of him.

"I assume you have figured out by now that Kim and I aren't together anymore, right?"

Betty grimly nodded, "I had strong suspicions after the debrief this morning, what she said about that other guy... it caught me off guard a bit. Our surveillance of you isn't that extensive now since its still centered mainly on your parents house and some cameras around Middleton."

"Kim and I haven't been a couple officially for just over 4 months now."

Betty put two and two together and spoke in a low tone, "Your 21st birthday, you said earlier that you had reason to drink that night."

Ron nodded in confirmation, his face a dark mask, "That was when it officially fell apart, unofficially though its been going downhill since senior year in high school, near nonexistent the past year here at University."

Betty was a bit suprised by that, "What happened back three years ago to start this?"

Ron finished his first glass and began to speak, his eyes trying to burn a hole in the top of the table. "As you well know I'm not the same guy I was back then. Kim had a lot to do with that and I guess that's what makes this whole situation so ironic. When we got together after the Diablo incident during our second year she made it her goal to improve me, called me 'Potential Boy'. She always said I could do better so she would poke, prod, threaten... well do anything up to and including using that damned pout of hers to get me to do my school work, change the way I dressed, change my eating habits, exercise, train more... the list was long and varied." Ron concluded with a weary wave of his hand.

Betty looked on with increasing interest and concern, nodding for him to continue.

"Well, that summer before the senior year of school I finally caught my growth spurt, went from 5'5" to 6'2" in three months, that in combination with the exercise and weight training Kim had me doing led to the form you see before you now. When you combine that with the basic Judo and Krav Maga courses I was taking I became a near match for Kim in a big hurry. Once I applied myself I found I was a natural at gymnastics and martial arts. Since I had grown into my feet and hands I wasn't the clumsy fool I had been before and the new, better fitting clothes she had me wearing meant I wasn't tripping over myself all the time either. Eventually my reach, power and increasingly fast reflexes meant I started to overtake Kim. I even handed Adrena Lynn her ass back then on a mission before Kim could even get near her."

"This had an effect on your relationship with Kim, didn't it?" Betty asked.

"Yes it definitely did, but at first I didn't get it. She stopped giving me fighting lessons, and said I could cut back on my exercise routine, but I didn't and she was a little miffed with me at times from then on. Confused me badly at the time, but I was so deep in love with her then I couldn't see what was really going on."

"That couldn't be all of it though." She stated, starting to see where the facts were leading. Ron seemed to be hurting at having to bring all this out in the open, but Betty knew both from her professional training and personal experience it was for the best, keeping it all bottled inside could eat away at him. Destroy him.

_The world can't stand to lose good people. I couldn't stand to see him destroyed._

"No it wasn't, that was just the first little nudge. I started going back through the skills they tried to teach me the first time I was at Yamunuchi and they all started to work, the meditation techniques especially. Because of my new focus from that my grades shot up. I went from steady C's to A-/A grades in the space of a month at the first of the school year, I don't think I ever saw Steve Barkin more poleaxed in my life... Then he recovered and made me retake every test." Ron admitted with an amused snort.

"So now her boyfriend who had always been in her shadow physically and intellectually was catching up, and in record time too. Kim would be starting to wonder what was going on, why you hadn't done any of this before, and how far you could go." Betty knew she was right, it was the same scenario as dozens of case studies she had done as a part of her doctorate.

"Yes, she got very suspicious of everything, and again I didn't see any of it. That's how badly what I thought was true love blinded me. Well, when spring break rolled around and another trip to Yamunuchi came up she demanded I not go. Considering how I felt about her at that time I'm suprised I did go in the end, between Barkin and my folks they kinda veto'ed her though, and I'm glad now that they did."

"Barkin and your folks weren't the only ones prodding for you to go... who do you think got Master Sensei to make the offer? Somebody here had to be keeping an eye on your progress." Betty smirked slightly as she made the revelation, she knew Ron would be shocked.

"Hmph, I had inklings that something odd was going on surrounding the whole Yamunuchi deal... someday soon you and I are going to have a long talk about that place. Us alumni have to stick together, don't we?" Ron replied with his own smirk, happy that he could finally turn the tables on the brown haired beauty before him.

IV.

_How in hell does he know about that! Oh, I need to have a talk with a white haired ninja master in Japan about what he tells to whom!_

Betty did not like being caught unawares, Ron had just got her better than anyone had ever been able to. Instead of being mad about it, Betty found herself impressed. She realized how much he really had matured, the Ron that had walked into her office all those years ago would have proclaimed this knowledge loudly and often. The mature, seasoned Ron before her played his information like poker chips, using them when it most benefited him.

Betty spoke in a nonchalant tone, "Yes I did attend Yamunuchi, I went at the same age you did for your first trip."

"You stayed a full year, Sensei said you were a very promising student... someday we should have a little sparring match." His voice betraying his amusement at the situation.

She knew he was a full master of Tai Shing Pek Kwar and probably Ninjitsu as well, plus some instruction in Judo and Krav Maga. She knew that a years worth of instruction was no match for the force of nature she had read about in the reports of Dementor's defeat earlier in the day.

"That sounds like a good time Ron, but against a Master like yourself I probably don't stand a chance."

"Not many people do," Ron spoke in a low, cold voice that then brightened as he addressed his companion for the night, "for you though I'll lay off the MMP, every new opponent brings a learning experience."

"Yep, you've been talking to Master Sensei quite a bit. That wise bit of language confirms it." Betty had to laugh at how much he sounded like the wise old headmaster of the Yamunuchi school.

Ron wasn't smiling, nor was he laughing... Betty unwittingly had struck a nerve within his memory.

"Kim didn't appreciate it, when I got back from that week I had learned more Tai Shing Pek Kwar. Come to find out I was about half way to being a master at that point. With the Monkey Kung Fu I became more than a match for Kim, her usual counters and attacks didn't work against it. She became angry, she could still beat me but those matches were always brutal and nasty. Eventually I went back to letting her win 90 percent of the time because going through that just wasn't healthy for either one of us anymore. At that point I was a wreck emotionally, I was proud of the strides I was making, I still loved Kim very deeply, but I couldn't figure out why she had such venom in her eyes when we sparred and I won. She wouldn't talk about it and sooner or later I just let it drop, but that was when I started falling out of love with her."

Betty knew, it was the 'Kimpetitiveness' that they had identified early in the Ron-Factor project. It was always there, some of the reports claimed it could affect the friendship badly if Ron were to become more capable. The reports had been sidelined because they weren't true evaluations, just observations. Now it seems they had been right all along. Betty's train of thought was interrupted as Ron began again, his voice expressing a deep sadness.

"Senior prom went ok, I dressed just as she asked... I actually pulled off the white tux jacket pretty well, I looked like a blonde James Bond," Ron smiled at the memory, "... and after that we 'got together' for the first time." As he spoke his face began to turn a deep red. "I thought things would be better with Kim and I from then on, but after I came back from that summer at Yamunuchi a full master of Tai Shing Pek Kwar, master of my mystical powers and in possession of the Lotus Blade things got worse. I told Kim about everything at that point and tried to share my power with her, it pushed her away from me," Ron sighed at the memory, "that made things much worse between us because she blamed it on me, said if I were a true master the power would obey me. I didn't know what to do. Kim was my everything, no other women really paid me any attention compared to her. I felt like if I left Kim I'd never know love again, no woman could ever love me and the fact that Kim took pity on me and loved me was what I deserved. Since then I have learned better than that."

Betty looked at Ron thoughtfully for a moment, "This was around the same time you had that run in with Killigan, wasn't it?"

"Yeah, that happened about a week before we started at Upperton U, I was training my powers everyday. Kim was getting angrier and angrier at me, and I was ever more confused. Then that mission came up and that's when things really changed. Wade tells me I was like a force of nature during that mission..." Ron explained before being cut off by his companion.

"I know, I watched some of the footage he recorded... and I remember the reports from that mission, the ones that paint a picture of Kim doing all the work, but that's not what Killigan's security cameras caught or what he told us during interrogation." Betty admitted as a curious look crossed her face, "Tell me what really happened with that mission Ron."

V.

"Well the insertion part of the report is bang on, the VTOL dropped us on the upper level of Duff's Clubhouse Lair, but what it left out was the fact that I really wanted to use my power, I was fresh back from Japan and ready to let loose on some real targets. In fact the whole trip there was basically me convincing Kim to let me take the lead...

_"Ron, you might be the high Monkey Master now but that doesn't mean that you're the team leader, I still have the most experience at taking down super villains." Kim growled, it was obvious she didn't like the current topic of conversation._

_"So, who said I wanted to be the team leader? I just want to do the heavy lifting. You can just stand back and watch it all happen for once." The smile on Ron's face communicated he only wanted the best for her._

_"Oh for the love of... Ok, OK... if it will shut you up you can have a full crack at it, but if it all goes bad you get to take the blame Monkey Boy." She knew he hated being called that._

... eventually I got my point across to her, taking several verbal hits along the way. She hadn't really seen me at full power yet in combination with the Lotus Blade and when I suggested we go straight in, no diversion and no sneaking around she got very out of sorts. Then I reminded her she had given me the chance to do this mission MY way, and she once again relented." Ron explained, going back in his memory to a point almost two years in the past.

"How many mission reports are we going to have to rewrite?" Betty asked with a smile.

"A few... ok more than half of them since the mission with Duff... where was I... oh yeah, Kim decided I should have enough rope to hang myself with so I decided to go with it. Killigan was trying a new spin on the whole 'turn the planet in to one big golf course' scheme, something about giant robotic construction tools," he showed how amusing the whole plan was with a wave of his hand, "he had also purchased a full production lot of Hench Co. Mark 4A Henchmen to help with security. Between my energy blasts and the blade I scattered them to the four winds, Kim just followed along behind looking stunned."

Betty herself was a bit suprised, she had seen the footage of that very day herself, but here was the one who had done it and to him it was akin to taking out the trash. Something easily done and not much of a strain.

"As we... correction, I worked through the henchmen in the lair and made our way to Killigan I let my power rise more... Wade describes it like watching the Jedi in Episode I, throwing henchmen left and right from a distance, never making contact with them at all. We came to the main chamber at the bottom of the clubhouse, it was defended by these huge steel doors...

_Kim sighed deeply as she pushed Ron aside and pulled out her Kimmunicator, punching the call button she then spoke as Wade appeared on the screen... "Wade, Ron's managed to get us into a dead end again," Kim turned from the door as she continued to speak, "think you can hack this door open?"_

_The next words spoken by her tech guru shocked Kim to the core. "Turn around Kim, I don't think you need my help with getting through it anymore."_

_As Wade cut the connection Kim spun around to see what he was talking about and was confronted by an astounding sight. The steel doors, which she could now see were over two feet thick, were no longer there... they now were in six huge pieces in the main chamber of the lair having crushed half of the giant robots on the way in._

... I think we put in the report that Kim cut them with her laser lipstick and the pieces collapsed inwards by sheer luck, right?" Ron asked, happy he was now able to tell someone what really happened, but sad as to what the mission came to represent.

"Yes you did, she never let on about any of this... I have so many mission reports to amend... and YOU are going to help me!" Betty's face might have been twisted into a growl, but Ron could see the amusement in her eyes.

"Small price to pay Betty, at least I'll have good company, better than the first time writing the blasted things." Ron let out with a chuckle.

"You aren't stopping now Ron, what happened next, Kim must have been floored."

"Floored is a severe understatement...

_"R-r-Ron? How did you do that? Those pieces must weigh tons each!" Kim Possible, teen heroine proceeded to babble as she looked at the form of her 'sidekick' standing wreathed in a blue glow, Lotus Blade at the ready. "How did you do this..."_

_Her words were cut off by the ranting of Duff Killigan, "My bonnie robots... how will I make a wee fairway of Broadway now?" His attention turned towards the door where he noticed the form of his red haired nemesis, his anger flared, "What have yea done lassie? Yea shall pay for this, you fire haired wench you'll pay dear!"_

_"Wasn't me Killigan! It was all Ron!" Kim's usual mission composure was broken as she frantically directed the mad golfer's attention to her glowing companion._

_"Laddie, you and me need to have a little chat about destroying stuff that 'tisn't yours!" Killigan whipped out a club and drove a series of exploding golf balls at his glowing target. To Duff's suprise his target didn't run, didn't flinch, just simply brought his hand up and fired a large burst of blue energy at the incoming projectiles... which all exploded far from their intended target._

_"Duff, you gotta understand, you can't win today, "Ron spoke as he sprang from his position at the door, emphasizing his point by bringing the Lotus Blade down through one of the three remaining robots, splitting it cleanly in half, "I won't let you win today, "the next robot found all its appendages removed in a lighting fast series of swipes of glowing steel, "and you will NEVER WIN!" With a great burst of blue energy the last words were punctuated with the last robot falling to the floor of the lair, melted to a pile of slag. Ron looked up to Killigan, his eyes a deep blue, his body encircled by glowing streams of energy, the Lotus Blade glinting in the harsh lights._

_"Aye, I'll win as soon as I deal with you and beat the lassie to a pulp with me irons!" Killigan charged Ron with his last word, a club in each hand._

_Kim watched as Ron dropped into a fighting stance with the blade at the ready, when Killigan was in range Ron struck like a Cobra, his blade slicing the clubs off that the handles then following through with a leg sweep that came with such force she heard the bones in Killigan's legs snap._

... after I let the power go ebb when Killigan passed out from the pain I found Kim staring at the scene in shock, it was like she couldn't process what she saw."

"At that age I don't know if I could have processed a sequence of events like that, even with the training I had." Betty admitted.

"Well, after the mission, on the way home Kim regained her composure and decided I was to never use the Mystical Monkey Power or the Lotus Blade on a mission again. She felt it was worse than a gun, more deadly and destructive than one of Drakken's death rays... I told her it wasn't, I controlled it and not the other way around. At that point she dropped the bomb, it wasn't the power she didn't trust, it was ME! Kim went on to compare it to me and the Naco millions, said the power was like the wad of cash I carried in my pocket that time. Nothing but a ticking time bomb. I was so in love that when she threatened to leave me if I didn't agree it was like someone threatening to cut off my legs." His voice was angry, but she could tell the anger was directed inwards. At what he had done then, at how closed his eyes had been.

"So you gave in and played the part she wanted." It was a statement, not a question and Ron was nodding before all the words crossed Betty's lips.

VI.

"The first year of university was pretty bad, after that mission I basically had to swallow everything I was, no Mystical Monkey Power, no Lotus Blade... Kim forbade me to use either... it was back to being the buffoon sidekick. Funny bit was that Shego caught on. Seems she knew about what I did to Duff and wanted to test if I was really that good. She'd actually ignore Kim and come directly after me." Ron laughed at the memory.

"I can imagine that turned Kim right on, Shego bypassing her for you." Betty had to join in, she knew how nasty things probably got when Kim realized what was going on.

"Lets just say Shego found out how brutal Kim could really be when she did that," Ron's laugh stopped and his face dropped, "another thing that never made the mission reports, but I had to pull her off Shego a few times. Anger and jealousy are never pretty, I had already began to fall out of love, having to pull her off Shego, well lets say that she'd strike at me in the process. Sometimes because of the fact I was stopping her, sometimes because Shego would escape in the process, sometimes for both reasons... any romance left died pretty quick."

"The romance was dead and it sounds like the love wasn't far behind it, didn't she see how badly this affected you?"

"I didn't let her. I never liked confrontational situations, still don't, so I put on a mask, played the romantic boyfriend, did all that was expected, made sure she was happy... well at least I thought she was."

"Why do I know this has something to do with four months ago?" Betty thought she knew where this was headed.

"Four months and 3 days to be exact, but it turns out it had been happening for months before that. I came to you about the Weapons Course because I wanted a backup where she wouldn't let me carry the Lotus Blade on missions. I could carry a gun in my pack and she'd never be the wiser."

"So that's why you said it was a suprise for her..." Betty started to put her own pieces together, the whole wasn't pretty, "she found out though, didn't she?"

"Yeah, my fault actually, I fell asleep reading one of the course manuals on the couch at the apartment one afternoon, she came home and realized what it was and immediately took a freak. Here I was learning another skill, and one she REALLY doesn't approve of... guns are a fact of life in the business now, I accept that but she doesn't... and it led to a knock down and drag out verbal shouting match. I got sick of it and left. I went for a walk and cooled down and went back prepared to swallow my pride again and admit I was wrong." Ron's face became dark as he continued, his voice dripping pain. "She had this guy on the couch with her, banging away like it was some porno flick. I nearly collapsed on the floor from the collective crap running through my mind but Kim's laughter brought me back into focus. She was laughing at me, and so was he... he was some bigwig from the offensive line on the football team... they proceeded to tell me how they had been 'getting together' for months at his place and now they didn't care if I knew. It was the wrong thing to say. The Lotus Blade was in my hands in the next moment and aimed directly at his exposed crotch," A cruel smile crossed Ron's lips, Betty herself had to smirk at the image his words created, "long story short he never came near her again, but she went looking for others so I started looking for a new place. It was over. I found a nice place off campus I jumped at it, I finally got moved out just a few days ago. It was pretty damned clear she made sure I found out about her indiscretions on purpose as punishment, it hurt me bad even though the writing was on the wall for the most part with the rest of the relationship. I guess that was the last string of the feelings I had, that she was faithful to us, when that was gone we truly had nothing." Ron took a deep breath and looked intensely at the woman before him. "So now you know all of it."

VII.

"I have to ask, why do you still go out there and risk your life doing these missions with her? I'd give you missions on an solo basis right now based solely on what I know from our surveillance. You do not need to stand behind Kim Possible to be a hero, and you do not need to stand in her shadow any longer. You can look after yourself and do what you want without bearing her as a burden." Betty looked at Ron with a deep concern, he had been hurt worse than she originally suspected yet he still did the missions. _Why would he do that?_

He hung his head and let it settle into his hands, his elbows on the table, "I know all that, I realized it a long time ago. I made a promise though Betty, I promised I would never let her come to harm, that I'd be there to defend her if she got in over her head no matter what. I'm honour bound to keep that promise."

"Who did you make that promise to... Kim? If so she doesn't deserve it, she didn't show honour to you..." Betty found herself cut off with a wave from his hand.

"It's not like that at all, the promise was never made to Kim, as far as I know she doesn't even know I made it." He sighed deeply and began to speak again, "I made the promise to her parents on the day we went on that first adventure, if I hadn't they never would have let her go. I knew she wanted to go, so I made it happen and to do that I had to promise them that their daughter would always come home safe no matter what the cost to myself. It cost me any hope of popularity, cost me my dignity, most of all it has now cost me any chance at happiness in my life."

Betty gasped at the realization. Kim's betrayal was one thing, but the thought that he suffered all of her abuse willingly just left her speechless... _how did he survive this long? _She began to feel a pure rage. Possible had hurt him worse than she first suspected, even as he tried to help her she beat him down, the more he clung to her to keep his promise the harder she tried to destroy him. She knew that loyalty never grew on trees and promises were rarely kept, if ever. It sickened her to see it wasted.

Finally after a long silence, Betty found her voice, "She has not cost you that chance, there must be plenty of girls out there that would love to be with you." She had to say it, but it hurt, more than anything she wanted to take him in her arms and show him that one woman wanted him... _even if it is just me._

A sick, miserable chuckle escaped his lungs, "Glad to see that GJ hasn't been paying _that_ much attention to me. After she dumped me when everything went to hell she started dating the top end of the 'food chain' again, this soon brought the media who realized her and I were no longer together and when they asked her why she took her chance. Kim basically stated on TV that I was a lowlife scum that was too dangerous for my own good. About all I gotten for the past four months are propositions from women on death row and an offer from Shego every time I see her on a mission, that's all I get for risking my life to keep a 'friend' safe."

"So let me guess, when you go on missions with her you don't talk, you just do what you have to do and leave and she takes the opportunity to rub your face in the situation over and over again... am I right?" Betty asked with a deceptively even tone as she struggled to keep her emotions in check.

"Bingo, she's come right out and admitted the fact that she wants to break me. Stood there and screamed it into my face that she won't stop until I'm groveling at her feet, begging to be hers again. That I can handle, I know we aren't meant for each other now and it won't happen, but then she said if I were to stop going on the missions she would basically allow herself to be hurt and fail and she'd let the blame all come down on me, even to the point of making it look like I inflicted her injuries. She even instructed Wade to find a way to drain my powers, said that will be the only way she takes me back." A deep, dark laugh spilled from Ron's lips as he reached for his stout. Taking a long pull he sank back into the padded leather seats of the booth, his face unreadable.

VIII.

She sat there stunned, his earlier revelations about how the relationship had slowly come apart did not suprise her much once she thought everything through, she was a trained professional, but the admission he had just made shook her to the core of her being. _How could anyone do that to a good person like Ron? How could she abuse his loyalty? Could that have been me? Would I have treated someone as good as Ron that badly in my teen years? _

_I'm glad I never found out... there but for the grace of god go I. _

Betty didn't like to admit it, but her own life and that of Kimberly Possible had many disturbing parallels.

_Being alone through all of those years gave me a different perspective though, it made me recognize and appreciate loyalty and friendship all the more when I have them. _

She refocused her attention to Ron, "What are you going to do? There must be something you can do to get out of all this."

Ron began to chuckle again, "Oh, there are ways, First is that even IF you could drain my powers I'll still have all my training as a ninja and my new combat skills which alone are more than enough to make me a better fighter than her. Second, Wade just gave her lip service when he promised find a way to drain me of the MMP, and Third he's keeping her 'Kimmunicator' on just about 24/7 now recording everything so we can have evidence if she tries to hang something on me. With the threats she's made we figure she's already given up all claims to privacy. Moreover though I don't want to be with her anymore, I've finally realized what her and I had was not healthy and was not love. I'm just in it now to keep her in one piece." Ron said the last bit with a determination that matched the look that had leaked on to Betty's face.

"Wade's doing a lot for you." Her comment came seemingly out of nowhere.

Ron nodded at the statement, "Wade knows all that you now know and more. He's like you... he knows all about my abilities and skills and instead of being brought to jealousy and fear by them he works with me as a friend. Since he can access our communicators anytime he knew about the fights Kim and I had, knew what she said and moreover what she did. He told my other friend Felix too, saying they were both shocked and disappointed is a major understatement. Kim is number one on their shit lists now and forever. To keep me safe though Wade still plays the neutral party to Kim."

"I guess he really is a genius, eh?" Betty smiled... _at least he has a few friends left._

Ron smiled for the first time in hours, "Yeah, with him and Felix running their own R&D firm I get to keep two of my best friends in one place, easier to look after them since Wade hired me to do his security, being a trained ninja has advantages. Rufus is always with me and now I also have you. Thanks for being my friend, right now it means a lot."

Betty smiled as she felt Ron's hands capture her own, her eye warmly locked on his chocolate brown pools, her mouth in a gentle smile that hid the sad thoughts swirling in her mind... _Why did life give him so much pain? Why couldn't he have been with someone who appreciated what he became over the years instead of being hostile and jealous? _From deep within her own thoughts she heard the most direct question of the night... _Why couldn't Ron be with me?_

IX.

"I have to ask, do the Possibles know what is going on with you and their daughter?" Betty asked as one of her slim fingers pushed the empty plate around the table.

"They know. Anne is very perceptive and caught the difference in Kim and I pretty quick after she went and started running around in the open, the admission Kim made on TV devastated her. For whatever reason she came to me first. I told her about everything her daughter did, Kim hadn't made the threat at that point about me quitting though. I laid my heart out to her and much to my complete suprise she believed me, took my word as gospel and so did James. They admitted that they'd noticed things slowly going wrong for the past two years, but James and Anne both thought it wasn't their place to interfere in the relationship Kim and I had... Anne then admitted if she had known how bad it had gotten she'd have stepped in long before. They both acknowledge that what Kim and I had is over." His voice carried a deep admiration for two people he would always consider his second parents.

"I wish I would have known, I deliberately left your personal relationships out of the ongoing Ron-Factor project out of respect for your privacy... maybe I could have intervened much sooner and spared you some of this." Betty admitted.

"Don't say that Betty, you had good reasons for not observing that part of my life, the fact that you listened to those reasons shows what a good person you are. In truth though I had to go through that... I had to learn what was right in life and what was wrong. Just like the training to use my power had to be harsh so did the training for my spirit." Ron admitted, he was beyond the pain now and could look back with with wise hindsight on what had transpired. "Anne helped me get some counseling, Dr. Meyer was suprised how far I had come on my own. I really only had two sessions with her a few months back. I had already fallen out of love with Kim and what I really needed help with was the constant berating and verbal abuse I suffer from her. That I mostly cure with good times with good friends and meditation. The good doctor had some pointers, but really she helped Anne and James more than I, they really took everything hard." Ron admitted with a sad grimace. The people he loved were hurting and all he could do was mitigate the damage, make it so things didn't get worse.

Betty was relieved Ron had at least seen a professional about what had happened over the past few years. "It sounds like you have really moved on, you don't feel anything towards her anymore?" _That girl does not deserve any love after doing this._

"I'll always have a part of me that loves her, she was my first love, and when it started out it was a good thing. Things change. Someday I'll find someone that loves me and who I am completely, until that day I have my friends and family to love." Ron spoke with a smile in his words and on his face.

Betty couldn't help the broad smile that sprang onto her face. _I accept him, I love him... do I love him? I could love him, I know I care more about him than I do about anyone else._

"Someday I hope Kim will snap out of all this and we can maybe be friends again, I hope she can at least snap out of it for the sake of her family." Ron said, the smile now gone from his mouth, replaced with a look of pain.

"So Mr. and Mrs. Possible helping you didn't sit well with her?" Betty asked, noting the emotion in his voice when the Possibles were mentioned.

X.

Ron paused for another drink, "Didn't sit well is an understatement, it infuriated Kim all the more when her folks confronted her, she tried to pass me off as the villain and her folks had none of it, Wade had supplied them with some evidence to back me up. Kim was caught flat out lying to her parents about what happened and it led to a nasty fight, her folks decided to take the tough love approach. I don't think she has spoken with them since, I talk to Anne and James on a regular basis, they demanded I keep them up to date on what Kim says to me. They won't come right out and say it but they haven't really had a civil conversation with Kim in weeks at least."

"The Possibles even helped me move out into my own place earlier this week. When they showed up to help all hell broke loose. She accused them of taking sides which is pretty accurate, eventually we just went about our work and she got tired of screaming and went into her room and locked herself in. Kim's folks even went to the trouble of detailing everything I took and signing the list themselves so she can't come back on me for taking things that weren't mine. I owe them so much... the hardest part was that night as we finished unpacking. Since we were all beat I ordered some food for us, it was her folks, Tim and Jim, my folks, Felix and a Wadebot."

"HEY!" Squeaked Rufus as he turned from his half empty plate.

Ron chuckled and smiled at his friend, "Yeah Rufus was there too, ate all the double cheese pizza before I could get a slice, the rat." He finished with a wink to Betty.

"HEY!" Came another cry from Rufus as he skittered up before his master, arms across his chest, face demanding an apology.

It was all Betty could do not to laugh out loud. _Even with all this pain and misery he still makes jokes and smiles for his friends, he's even stronger inside than I thought._

"What? You are a Naked. Mole. Rat. Remember?" He enunciated every word making sure that his buddy understood while trying hard not to laugh.

This truth caught Rufus off guard for a moment and he finally had to bow to the obvious.

"Oh, yep I am, sorry." And with a warm smile for both of his dinner companions and a salute for his pet human he skittered back to his nachos.

The exchange made Ron smile if only for a moment, he shook himself back to his original train of thought.

"So we were all there eating, everyone knew the score as I had told them what to expect and why. Most uncomfortable conversation I ever had with my parents when I explained everything and told them why they shouldn't kill Kim on sight. Didn't work that well, at one point that morning I thought my mother was gonna drive a lamp through Kim's head." He chuckled darkly at the memory.

"Later James brought up that promise from years ago, he said I no longer was bound by it. I was speechless." Ron's voice wavered and he coughed to clear it before continuing in a low even tone. "Anne and James proceeded to tell me how proud they were of me and how good a man I am. Everyone could see the accumulated cost to me that day, I looked bad, and hearing those words from them cracked the dam I had built inside. It just all seemed to fall apart right there and then around my kitchen table... I broke down and told them about the threat she made, how she would deliberately fail and be injured if I were to stop. I hadn't told them about it before, it was my burden to carry, but that night I just couldn't take it anymore." Ron winced at the memory. "I have never seen a more horrified look on faces as I did on the Possibles at that moment and I hope I never do again."

The haunted look on his face that shook Betty, even for all her years of training and hardship in Global Justice she had never seen a person so disturbed by an experience. Her vision stayed locked on his face as he sighed and spoke again.

"They understood why I was trapped because if she did follow through even with Wade's surveillance I'd be branded a villain myself, but they realized for me it's more than that. She's not my friend now or possibly ever again but she's still a person who deserves to live, not die fulfilling some stupid personal vendetta. She may not know what she's doing now but some day she might snap out of this, and snapping out of it down a leg or an arm, paralyzed, or on her deathbed isn't right." Ron's voice had a hard edge as he finished, then it softened as he remembered that night, how all that he had kept bottled inside had flowed from him. "After a lot of discussion we all came to an agreement that we would work together to keep Kim safe from herself. Wade is keeping the worst of the missions away from her and I've been doing most of those solo and taking no credit for them. The few missions I am stuck doing with her, like this morning for example, are usually quick and simple. I do a lot of the heavy fighting and she takes the glory. Once school is done we had agreed to part ways and dissolve the team any ways so I only have two more years and its over. Then she can go to the FBI, CIA, DEA or GJ..."

Ron was cut off by a laugh from Betty.

"What's so funny all of a sudden?" Ron inquired with a truly puzzled look on his face.

"After what you said here tonight if you think Kimberly Anne Possible will become an agent of Global Justice you drank too much!" Betty exclaimed as she stifled a belly laugh, gathered herself, and continued in a serious tone, "We've never done a full psychological workup on the two of you remember? Well, I can confidently say that once our staff headshrinkers get a hold of Kim she will not be offered a position of any kind. What she has displayed in her relationship with you would make for a reckless and needlessly cruel agent with no teamwork skills. She has a lot of growing up to do and a lot of bad attitudes to shed before we'd even consider taking her on and the same goes for any professional organization. You, on the other hand could join up anywhere you want and probably get in pretty quick, but I must admit I hope you'd think of Global Justice first." She finished her admission with a warm smile, making sure he knew she meant every word as she fought the vision of Ron in a Global Justice full dress uniform that sprang into her mind.

XI.

Ron was stunned by that declaration from Betty. Here he was with two years left on his cooking degree, money enough to start a restaurant right away after school and he was being told that he had a whole other career waiting for him. A career he never suspected for himself... he always thought it would be Kim going on to save the world with the big boys... looking at Betty he mentally corrected himself... big _girls_ and boys. Now it would seem that Kim had painted herself into the proverbial corner with her behavior and he could have all she ever wanted... a small, evil section in the back of his mind cheered in delight and a slight grin appeared on his lips.

Betty caught the grin and the glint in his eyes and with a grin of her own made a guess, "You're thinking how she'd react to seeing you in a uniform like mine as she was told she'd failed, aren't you?"

"Yes, after all that's happened I fully admit that some part of me wants to see that, but it's not right. Deep down I know its wrong, I'd be as bad as her." The grin had disappeared from his face and was replaced by a happy smile that he directed first at Rufus and then at Betty. Ron reached over and took one of her hands in a firm grasp. "Who needs petty garbage like that when you have true friends."

She never had imagined how good those few words could feel, never had she been called a true friend by anyone. Her younger years had been a mess of school, individual sports, missions and martial arts classes. Latest in a long line of intelligence officers she never had the chance for what Ron now offered her unconditionally.

Betty couldn't help it, the words were moving from her heart and soul unbidden to her lips... _I'll tell him, we'll talk about the possibility of an 'us'._

Her mouth opened to speak those words, only to be cut off by the loud electronic trilling of what she knew from experience was a Blackberry. She was suprised to find it just happened to be a Blackberry on the hip of her companion. He flipped it off his belt, showing a strange mix of happiness and dread, Betty thought she now understood the root of both emotions in that face.

Tapping a key on the device to answer the call Ron saw the face of a friend and spoke a simple phrase...

"Go Wade"

* * *

AN: I know not everyone is gonna like how I portrayed Kim, but I have to say we do see the possibility of this reaction to Ron at full potential from the show. There are hints of the 'Kimpetitiveness' everywhere. What happens when cooking isn't the only thing he can whup her at? I know she matured in the last season but Ron had a long ways to go then in my mind so we never did see how she would handle 'The Full Ron' (for lack of a better term). 

Next chapter has some action and we also get to know Betty a bit more. We also get to see what's going through Ron's noodle too. Please read and review and I'll take the good and the bad. I enjoy and learn from them all. Thanks for reading!


	3. Chapter 3

_**In Her Life**_

Thanks to my reviewers: cheeseyfudge, CajunBear73, GargoyleSama, JPMod (big shout out for the props and the inspiration), conan98002, momike, Evolved, campy, Lonestarr, dbfox007, Iron Obsidian, Isumo 1489, Bubbahotek, Drelufon, kemiztri, Yankee Bard, JPElles, Bear3126, peacekeeperchuck, Zaratan, spectre666, mkusenagi2, pbow and ri100014 (and apologies if I missed anyone). All of your reviews were welcome, keep 'em coming!

Reading recommendations? I have really been enjoying _Aliyah_ by Bubbahotek (it's the latest in a series, read the whole thing, its awesome!). Ron Stoppable becomes a soldier in the IDF... can't get much more 'Booyah' than that!

AN: Time to dance! I don't own Kim Possible, Aston Martin or Research In Motion... I do own a stuffed critter (gift from my sister) that sits on my desk that looks like the Jackalope in _Boundin'_ (pat on the back to those who know what I mean immediately). Enjoy!

_Chapter 3_

I.

Much to Betty's surprise the Blackberry turned out to be more than appearance suggested. Outwardly looking like the newest 9700 series model it had obviously been heavily modified. As she watched a small holographic image of Wade Load came together above the screen of the device looking directly at Ron.

"Hey Ron, you're at Maxwell's?" Smiled the young genius.

"Yep, I see you got your ESP in full swing tonight." Ron joked with his friend.

"No, just the usual tracking satellite." The holographic representation of Wade swiveled around above the PDA taking in all that surrounded the device, seeing his friend's female companion he did a double take in surprise.

"Dr. Director! Hello." Ron heard Wade say in what he could have sworn was a slightly fearful tone. _What did Wade hack into now? _He thought with a mental chuckle, as smart as his friend was sometimes he could be a bit too curious for his own good. _Ok, I gotta ask..._

"Wade?" The rest question obvious in Ron's tone of voice... _What did you do this time?_

Betty cut in, "Ron, no need to ask. He knows what he did and that someday I will find a way to get payment." Her lips curled into a wicked grin as Wade visibly gulped. _Ron's friends will be my friends, might as well start teasing them early, often and well._

"Ok, I'll take your word for it." Ron couldn't help but smile. _Whatever it was it wasn't that bad, might teach him a lesson. Better her than someone that really would hurt him. She looks so hot with that wicked grin on her face, I'd love to see her with only that grin on. Woah! Down Boy! See if she'll forgive you first._

The look on Betty's face changed as she regarded the PDA in Ron's hand. "I have to ask before curiosity kills me. That looks like a Blackberry but it appears to be more capable than a 'Kimmunicator', what's going on?"

Ron smiled at that, "More of Kim's doing. She didn't want me to have a 'Kimmunicator', but Wade did so..."

Wade interrupted smoothly, "... so Ron got a Blackberry! Kim couldn't really object to it because he uses it for his classes, but what she didn't know is that I had it gutted and basically replaced everything inside the case with my own tech. That 'Blackberry' is actually more advanced than Kim's own device, as you can tell by this holograph. It's just one of the many features I added. Ron's the best, so Ron gets the best."

"I'll second that any day." Betty added with a smile as Rufus bobbed his head up and nodded vigorously in agreement.

II.

Trying to shake off the heat rapidly crossing his face Ron addressed his technically superior friend, "I assume you got a mission for me Wade, or is this a social call seeing as how it's Friday night?"

Wade had to laugh at the blush spread across Ron's features. "Sorry Ron, its a mission. Drakken and Shego are trying to take over the world again, standard 'death ray aimed at major city' plot and of course they've stolen... say it with me now Ron... the..."

"Pan Dimensional Vortex Inducer!" Ron and Wade said as one much to Betty's amusement.

"Awww man! This is what, the fourth time this year someone has snagged that?" Ron whined. _God she's amazing when she smiles, her eye twinkles just like a star._

Betty could no longer hold it in at this point and let lose with a laugh, "You want some cheese with that whine?" _This is the most wonderful night, good friends, some laughs and Ron, he's best part of all._

"Cheese!" Rufus came smartly across the table to stand in between the two humans at the mention of his favorite foodstuff. Wade's hysterical laughter could be heard over the PDA and Betty's nearly matched it as Rufus joined in, catching the joke. Ron decided he had to be the voice of reason.

"Mission, settle people and rodent, settle... we do have a mission to discuss." Ron struggled to keep an even voice as he watched Rufus and Betty stifle their laughter.

Wade was the first one back to the topic at hand, "Do I call Kim?" He asked with a suddenly grim and serious voice. "You know if I don't and she finds out she'll put you through hell. She's at the movies on a date," Wade's voice filled with venom at those words, "but I don't mind breaking in on it in the least!" He finished with a nasty grin.

_No! Don't call that witch... but he needs backup. _She had written those rules herself, always work in pairs._ WAIT! I could go with him!_

The idea swirled in Betty's mind, and became more attractive with each passing moment.

As he watched Betty's face go blank in thought Ron let his shoulders drop as he realized he would need a second person on this one, he addressed Wade with a sad voice, "Yeah, I guess we have to beep her..."

"What about me?" Betty asked urgently, breaking in on the discussion, her vision locked on Ron.

"You want to join me on a mission?" Ron was in shock. _You know she does see you as a partner, not a threat or a sidekick. And she has to know what she is getting into... but does she really mean it?_

"Yes, I do," Betty felt her heart jump at those simple words, then shook it off and continued, "I won't see you hurt by Possible anymore and I like spending time with you. Besides you know I have the skills needed." The last was delivered with a smile as she grabbed his hand and gave it a gentle squeeze. Looking into his eyes she saw the indecision there, then they brightened and on his face she saw his full smile for the first time that night. _I want to see that smile everyday._

"Ok, you're on the team Betty," Ron squeezed her hand back and brought his PDA up to speak to Wade, "Betty's going to partner up with me tonight Buddy, no need to call Kim."

"What do I say when Kim finds out you did this?" Wade was shocked, but happy at the turn of events. He knew Ron had to break free of Kim sooner or later and maybe Betty was the right person to help him take that step.

"You'll tell her to come talk to Ron and I." She said a little too sweetly, making all involved realize that Betty had plans for Kim.

"Ron?" Wade looked to his team leader for confirmation.

"All good Wade, Betty knows all about Kim and I now, just got done giving her the full story. As for Kim finding out... had to happen sooner or later." Ron admitted with a touch of resignation.

"Oh!" Wade's eyes went wide as his mind caught up with what Ron had said, "So Betty is truly 'in' then."

Betty cleared her throat to get the attention of the two gentlemen and one gentlerat, they all turned to her with a curious look.

"I have some conditions though..." Betty smiled. _This is too good of an opportunity to pass up!_

"What?" Wade, Ron and Rufus all asked as one.

III.

"I want you to use all your skills tonight, I want you to use the Lotus Blade and I want you using the Mystical Monkey Power, and you will lead the mission. If you don't agree to those conditions I don't go." Betty spoke in a stern voice, no compromise offered.

Rufus immediately smiled and flashed her the naked mole rat equivalent of a thumbs up, nearly causing her to break into a laugh.

Wade looked on from his room, he knew this is what Ron needed, a chance to prove he could do it all. To prove that he was in control, to prove every hateful word Kim had said wrong in an undeniable way.

There was a moment of silence as Ron's face twisted in thought, his mind churning through the consequences of his possible actions. _Is it truly time to make that full break with my past, move on with what has been proven to work, move on with the friends I can trust? To truly become a person unto myself, not the sidekick or the distraction... I'm still bound by honor to protect Kim, but nothing says I have to take constant abuse to do it. In a way going on my own, or with someone like Betty **is** protecting Kimberly, she never gets to go close to harm. _A smile crept onto his lips, he knew the time was right. Surprisingly whatever Kim tried to do from now on didn't bother him, his decision was made and it was for the best.

Taking Betty's soft hands in his own he spoke with confidence, "I accept."

"So now that you've settled that, want to hear where you are going?" Wade smiled, he knew his friend would make the right choice.

"Spill." Ron stated, now eager for the mission.

Betty was also getting pumped, it had been a while since she had been out on an op. Training rooms, simulators and sparring didn't give her the feeling that a real mission did, and she could now feel the rush building in her. _How did I ever let this feeling go to sit at a desk and worry? _

"Drakken and Shego are in the usual lair on the far side of Mt. Middleton, you going to drive yourself?" Came the question from the teen genius.

"Yeah, that's as good a plan as any. We'll get there just as fast." Ron said with a thoughtful look on his face.

"Wait, are you forgetting all the alcohol we've had tonight? Betty gestured at the empty glasses on the table, "Neither one of us is probably fit to drive, let alone fight."

Wade had to chuckle at that, "Well the sensors say you're both over the legal limit... Ron, I guess this is where you do your stuff."

"Give me your hands Betty." Ron said in a soft tone as he reached his own hands across the table.

She noticed the look of intense concentration on his face, and the light blue glow that formed on his fingertips as she placed her hands onto them.

"Clear your mind, just like if you were meditating." Ron spoke calmly and clearly.

His voice washed through her mind as a warm tingle spread over her skin and seemed to move into her. Her focus that had been lost with the drinks thoughout the evening returned and with it came a burst of energy, she felt like she has slept for days in an instant. The sensation soon faded as Ron pulled his hands back from hers.

"You're both clean. Give me a call when you get on the road and I'll send you the final details. Out!" With that the holographic Wade winked out and Ron placed the the PDA turned Communicator back in it's pouch.

"That was the Mystical Power, wasn't it?" She said, a smile across her face and in her voice, still enjoying the slight rush throughout her body.

"Yep, just one of the many tricks it can do... oh and I gave you a bit of an energy boost too, worried for your agents or not you should get more sleep." Ron said.

Betty could only reply with a blush and a nod. _First the food and then this, he's already looking after me. _Not normally one to want that kind of attention, she found that it made her feel warm all over. _I never knew what I was missing all those years._

IV.

"Come on Buddy, mission time!" Ron called to Rufus as he stood up. The naked mole rat proceeded to scamper up Ron's outstretched arm to perch on his shoulder, the jeans lacking the pockets he usually depended on for transport.

Shoulder to shoulder Ron and Betty moved away from the booth and started for the door.

"So, your new apartment, where exactly is it?" Betty asked as they made their way out of the bar. Besides getting ready for this mission she knew that paying him a few visits was in order. _It's what friends do and what I'll do to be around him more._

"Just down a couple of blocks down the street actually, a couple of the guys in the weapons course suggested the place. They're nice clean apartments, big kitchens, wood floors..."

"... underground parking, master suites and spare bedrooms with a separate bath." Betty finished the description and watched with a smile as Ron's face fell.

"How did you know?" Ron asked in a puzzled voice.

"I have to live somewhere. I've been there since they were built, they're nice and secure. What apartment are you?"

"206" He answered, happy at the luck to have a friend close by. He was about to find it was even better than he thought.

"Seriously!" With a shocked expression Betty watched him nod the affirmative. _Things just keep getting better._ "I'm in 208!" She couldn't help but laugh.

"So you're the mysterious woman who never seems to be in her apartment, I'm glad I know someone nearby." Ron chuckled.

Betty had to smile at that. _Maybe I have a reason to be home more now._

"Come on, we can run it from here!" Betty said excitedly as she took his arm in her own. She had felt weary as she entered the pub earlier, now she felt refreshed, renewed and ready for whatever lay ahead of her as she began to move down the street with Ron. _After all these years a partner... not a lackey, not a subordinate, but a true partner... hopefully in more than this mission_. She could not help herself, what she had wanted for so long was within her grasp and she fully intended on grabbing him.

Ron smiled at his partner for the night, the glimmer in her eye was a sight he had never seen in years of contact, catching her enthusiasm he joined her has they ran down the street, ready for what the night held.

V.

Splitting off at Ron's door Betty hurried to her apartment to dress for the mission. Usually when anything bad was expected she wore her Global Justice day uniform, and for a moment she considered wearing one of them on this mission. _I want to be with Ron as a partner, not as a superior... hmm, I've never worn that gift but now seems like the right time. _As she stripped off the day uniform she reached into the back of her closet, the stealth material felt slick in her fingers as she ran a hand over the black battlesuit. For all the bluster back at the bar about being cross at Wade she was actually honored that he would make her one of his suits. Betty re-read the instructions that came with the garment, she had looked at it many times but for some reason she could never bring herself to try it on. Thinking on that as her eye scanned the instructions she realized that it was because of what she had become, a desk jockey. _I felt so alive again when he agreed to let me come along, and ever since then that rush has been building... hey, wait... 'for best results wear against bare skin without undergarments'! No wonder Kimberly always had that weird smirk on her face when she was wearing hers. Oh well, this isn't the time for half measures. _Standing she removed her bra and panties before unzipping the suit and stepping into it.

Betty marveled at the sensation as she smoothed the suit over her curves, somehow Wade had precisely matched her size. Zipping up the suit she soon discovered something very interesting... the boy genius had to be watching hours of porn. _I've got bras that cost a fortune that don't hold the girls this well! _Unbelieving she did a little jump to see how good the support was, and to her surprise everything was well and truly secure. _I don't care how old he is, he's gonna be doing some sport bras for me. _As she finished pulling up the zipper she walked over to her full length mirror and frowned. It wasn't because of how she looked in the suit, just like at the bar earlier she still had the curves and tone that would put some twenty year olds to tears. No, it was something about the suit itself that peeved her as it had since the day she unwrapped it... she never could understand the power bands being pink.

VI.

Ron had dressed in his usual mission clothes, but with one change. As warm as the night was he had forgone his usual sweater and went with a tactical muscle mapping shirt, he didn't always like how closely it hugged his body but did enjoy the greater freedom of movement it offered. Rufus had decided to relax in his usual pocket in his trousers as they waited for Betty in the hall. Knowing he would soon be going into battle Ron decided to meditate, placing his head back against the cool concrete of the wall he let his mind focus on the good things in his life.

_The Drs. P Squared, Wade, Felix... Mom and Dad... Rufus... Betty..._ As his thoughts turned to his companion for the night he felt a deep calm wash over him and the vast energies of the Mystical Monkey Power grow. Leaning against the wall both Ron and Rufus began to give off a spectral blue glow.

This was the sight that greeted Betty as she opened her door, she stood in semi shock, her eyes roaming up his body. _Oh my god... he's a... god!_

She had seen his Ft. Lewis combat boots before and the tactical pants with the big pockets for Rufus were also pretty standard. But he wasn't wearing his usual commando sweater or gloves. Instead he wore a black shirt that seemed to fit him like a second skin. Across his back was strapped the Lotus Blade, she had seen it from a distance when she had been at Yamunuchi years before and even now she could feel its power in the air. She also saw that power in the glow enveloping the two heroes before her.

"Ron...?" She asked as she approached him, her hand moving to touch him seemingly of it's own will.

Before she could reach him the glow faded and his eyes opened, then did a doubletake and opened again... this time the size of platters, "Um... heh... Nice suit Betty." _Don't stare, she can kick your ass, and she has two guns on her and healing those wounds hurts like a bitch so no ogling... but those curves!_

She realized where his eyes were almost instantly, her senses getting sharp again in anticipation of what was to come. Anyone else it might have made her angry, but for Ron to appreciate her form felt right for some reason.

He was looking up and down her body, amazed at what he saw. Betty's suit hugged just as tightly as Kim's did but for some reason he felt deeply drawn to Betty. Her suit was black... with pink power bands that made him smile... it showed off her shapely legs and ample chest. Holsters hung low from each hip, strapped to her toned thighs and filled with a pair of automatic pistols, pouches filled with extra clips higher on the belt that circled her slender waist. With her one dark brown eye twinkling and her brown hair looking so soft he just wanted to reach out and touch it Ron was lost in the vision that was Betty Director.

VII.

"Ron? Earth to Ron?" Betty smiled at the goofy grin on the young man's face, she could see his eyes were slightly higher on her body now. _Nice to know I can have that effect on him._

Rufus rolled his eyes at his pet human before descending back into his peaceful pocket earning him a chuckle from Betty.

Snapping out of his daze Ron realized what he was doing and as he rubbed the back of his neck and looked at her with a sheepish grin he spoke, "S-sorry Betty, didn't mean to stare but that suit looks good on you. Shall we go?" He motioned down the hall with his hand.

"So how is it that Wade never made you a battlesuit?" Betty asked with a smile as they began walking down the hall to the stairs.

"He did actually, first time I wore it and went to full output on the Monkey Power during training it became a regular bodysuit after a bit, crispy fried electronics when you have prolonged exposure. Seems modern technology and ancient mysticism don't co-exist well. My 'Blackberry' is heavily shielded but its just not feasible to do that to a whole battlesuit. Besides I find this outfit much more comfortable." He explained with a smile as his eyes once again scanned her form. "How did you get yours?"

"Gift from Wade, found it in my apartment on my 40th birthday. How he found out my birth date, my exact size... including my chest, and got it in my apartment I don't know... and I don't know if I ever want to know." She said with an snarl. _I'd like it if you got to know my chest size Ron... settle down woman!_

Ron had to laugh at that earning him a dirty look from Betty. _So that's why she was kinda chilly to him earlier!_ "Are those Colt .45 Autos?"

She proceeded to lift one out of her left holster and present it to Ron in one smooth motion, "Yep, M1911A1 .45 caliber pistols with some of the US Marine Corps MEU-SOC mods. What can I say," she admitted with an slightly evil smile, "I like doing a lot of damage. These were given to me by my father when I turned ten." _I know so much about him, but he knows so little about me, I want that to change._

Ron took the gun and examined it, "I liked training with the .45 Automatic so much I bought one myself." He handed the gun back to Betty in the same manner it was handed to him.

"Where is it? I got you in an exclusive weapons course and you aren't using it?" Her voice sounded annoyed, but the smile on her face showed she was amused.

Her face immediately went from a smile to shock as they both came to a stop in the hall and Ron's body was enveloped in an eldritch blue glow, energy streams swirling around him, his hair blowing in a wind she couldn't feel, and his eyes completely enveloped in a dark, almost black, shade of blue.

"You said I had to work at my full potential tonight or you wouldn't come... at full power I don't need guns." He said with a smirk worthy of Shego herself. _She's even more beautiful when she has that shocked look on her face, I didn't think it was possible, but there it is._

The tingles she had felt earlier at the bar and then as he meditated made Betty instinctively reach out for Ron, her arm was grazed by the energy that swirled around him as she lay a hand on his chest. The feeling was electric, every sense in her body was supercharged, her short hair blew wildly in the same nonexistent wind that his did. She gasped at the sensation as she held her hand there for a few minutes, then remembering the mission she reluctantly pulled her hand away. "Th-that was amazing... too bad we have to go because I'd like to explore it more." She said with a warm smile as a relaxed feeling washed through her body.

For his part Ron was shocked, he let the power slip back into hiding before he spoke, "Betty, very few people have ever been able to touch me when the Mystical Monkey Power was flowing full on, usually a person was pushed away from me. You just did something only Master Sensei and Rufus can do, when we get back I think you and I need to explore this more. How did it feel?" He took her hand in his with a smile and continued towards the stairs. _This is one special woman that has stepped into my life. That feeling of her being connected with the power was amazing._

"I never realized how your power manifested itself at full strength, it was never in the surveillance. Touching you, it felt like pure energy Ron, like everything in my body was set to 12 out of 10... Nobody but Sensei and Rufus have ever been able to touch you when the power was on before?" She asked with a touch of awe in her voice. Deep down she wondered what it meant, remembering how earlier he explained that even Kimberly hadn't been able to share the power. _What does that say about his feelings for me? Do we share the same feelings? Later, mission time now!_

Ron's head nodded the affirmative, a warm smile on his lips, "No one else, but let's roll, we can talk about that later."

Hand in hand they started down the staircase.

VIII.

Arriving at the basement garage Betty was surprised to find Ron walking the both of them towards a large green sports car. _Is this his? Last time I checked he drove an old Vespa. _"I guess I really should have been keeping a better watch, when did you start driving an Aston Martin?"

Ron had to laugh at that comment, "Three months back, as I started to enjoy my life a bit more I decided I should have a better set of wheels. Dad and Mr.Dr.P tried to talk me into buying a Jag, but I wanted something with a bit more flash. Thus we have the DB9."

"Well we get to arrive at the lair in style at least." Betty had to smile as she allowed herself a bit of a high maintenance moment. _I know it shouldn't matter, but this car is so hot! None of those Washington pukes ever had anything like this!_

Ron's voice changed in an instant and became a near relation to that of a younger Sean Connery, "Bond, James Bond... would you like a ride M?"

Betty and Rufus both shared a laugh at the comment and the voice that delivered it.

"Get in the car and drive 007... and don't I get to be Pussy Galore?" She said between laughs. _Now THIS is going on a mission! He's even got the humor down to a fine art._

Now laughing himself Ron had to respond as he looked her up and down with a lecherous grin, "I never liked the name but you most def got what it takes to be a Bond girl!"

With a blush Betty climbed into the passenger seat. _Did he just make a pass at me? _Without thinking she growled, "Ron!"

"Sorry!" Fearing he had stepped over a line his voice turned serious in an instant, "That suit does hit you in all the right places, and if you don't mind me saying you are a very beautiful woman."

Rufus, who had hopped from Ron's pocket and made his way to the rear of the car just shook his head at stupid human tricks.

Her blush deepening Betty replied, "Thanks... I do try," clearing her throat she continued in her normal tone, "lets get going." _Why did I snap? I liked what he said, it made me feel good... and I feel the same way about how he looks. Ron has turned into a perfect man, it's not the exterior, its the whole package. I want him._

Slipping the Lotus Blade behind them Ron proceeded to sink into the leather seat before he hit the start button and let the V-12 growl into life.

Some soft jazz music, which Betty's cultured ears identified as Diana Krall, began playing over the stereo and she let herself relax. _He thinks I'm beautiful, his voice was so sincere! Maybe I have a better chance than I thought._

IX.

As he made his way through the streets of Upperton, moving out towards the Interstate to make the normally two hour trip to Mt. Middleton. _Twelve cylinders worth of speed will knock that down a bit. _He smiled at the thought, before again turning his mind to his partner for the night.

He had meant what he said only minutes earlier, Betty Director was stunning. _How lucky have I been in life? Cheerleaders, beautiful criminals like Shego and Adrena and now a stunning Queen of the crime fighters... Kim has nothing on the beauty sitting next to me tonight. _

As years passed Ron had found his mind opening to new possibilities. His vision and tastes had broadened, no longer locked into green eyes and red hair he had found he really liked brunettes. _How could I not like brunettes after what she tried to do for me?_ Bonnie had tried to help him about a year ago and his mind winced at the memory. He remembered how much 'B' had changed while away at school that first year. _Not having anyone around her to tell her how great she was broke 'Queen B' down in a big hurry. Of course having the experience being a first class bitch meant she knew one when she saw one. _

It was at a get together Tara had at Thanksgiving because everyone was back in town, the teal eyed brunette had figured things out pretty quickly. Bonnie got Ron alone at the first possible minute and confronted him, he had kept her at bay until she finally got mad enough that 'Queen B' did come back... with a vengeance.

_After all she did to me during school I didn't think she had a heart, how wrong I was. _After hearing the story Bonnie had openly wept and begged his forgiveness for all she had done to him, for once he couldn't see a nasty motive in her actions, for once he saw true regret and shame in the eyes of Bonnie Rockwaller. Ron couldn't do anything but forgive her and after that the two had begun to correspond, mainly via email, discussing life and how to make it through. _I know Bonnie would like what is happening tonight, she always told me to break away. _

Kim had found out about his chats and emails with her former rival and instead of being nasty had disappeared for a night, reappearing the next morning with a smile and set of bruised knuckles. Wade had contacted Ron in tears later that morning with the news that Bonnie had been found outside her dorm badly beaten. The boy genius had arranged a ride and not known what it was for until that moment. _At least talking down Wade kept me from going off the deep end that morning._

Ron had confronted Kim about it and all she had done was smiled and asked who he thinks they would believe if he or Bonnie went public... a world saving teen hero or a washed up former cheerleader at a second string school? _Kim never found out I paid every one of Bonnie's hospital and therapy bills though and I made damned sure she got the message to lay low, stay away... and that I was sorry. _

His face twisted into a nasty smirk. _I'd love to see Kim try that with Betty though! _ His mind filled with visions of Kim having her ass handed to her by a woman in a black and pink battlesuit. _A very form fitting pink and black battlesuit at that... bad Ron!_

"What are you thinking about Ron?" Betty asked in a low, cautious voice, startling him from his thoughts.

"What?" He shook his head slightly before explaining. "Oh, I was thinking tomorrow is Shabbat and I should go to Temple to make my mother happy." He finished with a nervous chuckle. _Cover! She probably doesn't want me having those kind of fantasies with her involved!_

Smiling she decided to let whatever he was thinking about slide and admit something to him, "I should probably go too, I haven't gone since..." Betty became quiet remembering the last time she had been in a Synagogue... her mother's funeral. "Well lets say it's been a long time."

"Wait, you're Jewish?" This was almost a bit much for Ron to process... he then realized he really didn't know much about Betty's family outside of Gemini.

"Yes I am. I don't really keep up that well, too many long days and late nights." She spoke, a tinge of regret in her words.

"Well you'd be welcome to sit with my family anytime you want." Ron turned from the road slightly to fire off a smile at Betty, seeing with joy his smile replicate itself on her full lips. Turning back to the road Ron collected his thoughts for a few minutes before speaking again. "You probably know everything about my family all the way back to Poland, but I don't know that much about you. I don't want to come across as a snoop but I'd like to learn more about my new friend." _Maybe more if what I felt holds true after she learns the truth... But she's a good person, she'll understand why... I hope._

X.

Betty smiled and settled back in the rich leather to soothe her body before the strains to come, "You're right, nobody ever asks anything about my past or my family though, people just hear things about Sheldon and the questions stop and they look embarrassed."

"He's just one member of your family, I want to know about your whole family." Ron explained as he guided the grand tourer down the interstate.

She considered his words... _if he wants to know more about my life maybe he does really care for me in the way I care for him_. After a moment of silence she began to explain about her family. "Well my grandparents came from Germany just before the Depression took hold here in America, my father was born a few years after they arrived. Grandpa Eli was a great man in finance and was able to thrive even while others collapsed, along the way amassing a sizable fortune. During the early 1930's he kept track of what was going on back home in Germany and saw what Hitler and the Nazi's were about almost before anyone else. Using his money and influence he worked secretly against the German-American Bund, never letting them get close to him. He knew that they'd only twist his efforts to show that the Jews were a parasite on the earth." Betty spoke with obvious love for her grandfather and an equally obvious hate for the monsters that had held power in Europe at that time.

"Your grandfather sounds like he was a very smart man, getting out when he did. Then working in secret to subvert that bunch of thugs." Ron was a diligent student of history, he knew what the Bund had tried to do in America.

"Well he wasn't quite smart enough. He was discovered, but it was by an agent of the US Government, William Donovan." Betty paused, wondering if Ron would know the name, or admit it if he did. _Lets see how much he holds back, I know he's taken the history classes, but will he slip into the old ways?_

"The Office of Strategic Services... 'Wild Bill' Donovan, made an honorary Knight Commander of the British Empire by King George VI for his work during World War II." Ron spoke with confidence. The exploits of Donovan and a Canadian code named Intrepid during the war had made history his second favorite subject over the years.

"Showoff," Betty had to chuckle, but inside she was very pleased Ron was openly displaying his intelligence around her, "Donovan decided having someone like my grandfather Eli around who knew about both money and Germany would be a good thing. He was there in June of 1942 when the OSS was brought into being. He spent the war going over intelligence reports and training men who would then try to infiltrate Nazi occupied Europe. He saw early on what was happening with the concentration camps but was told there was no way to move faster. The few stories he told me before his death chilled me, and at the same time gave me purpose, as did my father. Dad became an operative with the CIA in the early 1960's about the same time I was born. He admitted to me that he was deeply influenced by Grandpa. He said to me one day, 'If I can do even a small part to prevent another Holocaust, I will'. Between the stories my grandfather told me and the determination I saw first hand in my father growing up it was basically preordained I would have a job like this, I never wanted anything else in a career."

"We both have some of the same motivations. My Grandfather Imi fought in General Patton's Third Army in it's wild run across the continent, he told me how the charge ended in May of 1945 at the Mauthausen camp complex. I'll never forget the rage and grief displayed in equal measure on that normally happy face." Ron admitted, his hands tight on the leather steering wheel.

"I always figured, deep down, that was why you did it. Protecting Possible never seemed to be enough to make a person face the kind of danger that you did and still do on a regular basis." Betty said looking over at her companion with genuine admiration.

XI.

"So your father was an intelligence officer?" Ron asked with genuine curiosity as they drove on into the night.

"Yes, CIA field operative, mainly worked in high risk areas in Eastern Europe and the Middle East." She explained, a slight hitch in her voice alerting Ron that he had hit a rough memory.

"You don't have to talk about him Betty, not if you don't want to, ok?" Ron spoke in a low, soothing tone, not wanting to cause her harm.

Betty nodded then looked away, a single tear in her eye, as much as her father had influenced her life, how his life had ended had affected it just as much. Hearing the concern in Ron's voice she knew she didn't have to say anything more, but something deep inside made her continue. She sighed and began to speak again. "He died when I was twelve, but I never found out how until I became the head of GJ. He was in Iran during the Islamic Revolution, setting up for Operation Eagle Claw... some of the papers left behind 'burned' him. He never came back. He's a star on the Wall of Honor at CIA Headquarters in Langley, but his name isn't in the Book due to the nature of his mission, probably never will be."

Ron had noticed that single tear slide down her cheek, slowing the car slightly he took a hand from the wheel and placed it on Betty's arm, giving it a gentle squeeze.

"Thanks Ron, I never got to talk this out. It helps." She paused, Ron noticed her eye was closed and she appeared to be deep in thought.

"Everyone thinks Gemini... Sheldon... created WEE just to spite me, that garbage about being born four minutes before I was, the truth is worse. When Dad died and they couldn't tell us why or how he became bitter and had no use for authority. He walked out when he turned 16 and no one saw him again until Gemini appeared the first time. Mom died a few years after that... ovarian cancer, it's like she just gave up. Seeing him turn his back on all Dad had fought and lost his life for devastated her."

The look on her face spoke of nights long past spent in tears and torment, Ron was speechless. _What I went through with Kim was peanuts compared to what Betty has weathered in her life. _Ron found it harder and harder to keep his concentration on the road, he wanted to take her into his arms and tell her that she had someone, right there next to her wanting to be all he could for her.

XII.

Shego was watching the video feeds from around the lair intensely. She knew that once word got out that she had once again lifted the PDVI they would all have a whole heap of Possible on them soon enough. She had always thought this lair was too close to the main road, hell a cable guy came up to it once. _But we keep coming back here because its owned by one of Drewbie's legit shell companies and its never been seized and it's cheaper than a Rent-a-Lair. _Shego could hear the evil doctor's whine in her ears like he was in the room with her.

_She'll come in from the sky, down a vent with Stoppable close behind._ Thinking of the blonde young man led Shego's normally ordered thoughts astray. She had kept a detailed surveillance of Possible over the years and because of that collected a lot of data on Stoppable as well... she had noticed the abuse... _that's the only word for it, abuse_... back at the start of their senior year of High School. At first she hadn't known what to think, Kim Possible as the aggressor? It made no sense, then she realized it was Princess' ego calling the shots. Shego had snuck in to interrogate Killigan and knew what Stoppable **might** be capable of... _I never could fully trust any guy who wears a skirt and eats something called 'haggis'._ The one thing she knew for sure was that after that mission Kimmie had put her thumb on Stoppable and he played the goofy buffoon act to the nines from then on. It's not like she hadn't tried to bring the 'Super Stoppable' out either, she had, but every time she got close to unlocking the power in the sidekick Kim would be there more violent than ever. Taunting Stoppable or even bringing up Killigan provoked an immediate response from the red haired bitch. She remembered him pulling Kim off of her a time or two, and saw him pay an immediate price for his supposedly mutinous actions. Shego could still vividly recall the day Kim had rounded on Ron and cracked him right in the jaw, she could have sworn she saw it break, but then there was this funny shimmer around him all was well again. _Never thought I'd see the Princess deck Stoppable like that, I wonder if she does it at home too? _Idly looking around the security console she happened to look back at the camera feeds just in time to see a British Racing Green sports car stop on the side of the highway... right at the access road to the lair. _Now who could this be?_

XIII.

Just as Ron was about to pull over to comfort his partner for the night he heard the distinctive trill of the on-board communications system. As he reached for the activation button he made sure Betty was ready to face another person and smiled at her to make sure she knew she was with someone who cared.

He was rewarded with a smile from the voluptuous crimefighter and a nod suggesting he answer the call.

Tapping a button on the console the navigation screen changed to display the face of his technical guru, grinning back at the both of them.

"Hi guys, ready for the final briefing?" He began, his happiness with the situation evident in his voice.

"Lets have it Wade." Came the response from Betty.

"Ok, as I said earlier Drakken is in his usual lair at Mt. Middleton," as he spoke a holographic representation of the lair appeared over the dash, "and as usual Drakken has hooked the PDVI up to a laser, or 'death ray' if you use the standard villain terminology."

"So what's the big whoop? Sounds like an everyday Drakken scheme." Ron asked, his question mirrored on the face of Rufus who was now sitting on his shoulder.

"Well there is the problem, I think Drakken got a little slack this time and... well..." Wade looked kind of pensive, like he had some VERY bad news.

"Well what?" Betty asked with a hint of tweak in her normally collected voice.

"Drakken didn't do his math right on this one, the PDVI itself is ok, but the 'death ray' is highly unstable and if it goes it'll take the PDVI with it and the whole of Middleton at the same time." Wade explained before taking a long pull on his huge cup.

"Crater the size of Nevada?" Ron asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Exactly, so you have to go in there and disable it before Drakken can go to full power." The boy genius said to wrap it up.

"Sounds simple enough... what about defenses, just the usual Shego plus Henchmen?" Came the question from Betty.

"Actually no... well the usual Shego, but Drakken has replaced his Henchmen with Synthodrones completely. Seems he couldn't afford the price increase Jack Hench put out a month ago." Wade chuckled, everyone knew the mad scientist was a cheap ass.

"Well at least we don't have to worry about hurting Henchmen, it's just so fun to off Synthogoons." Ron admitted with a smile.

"So what's the plan tonight Fearless Leader?" Came the words across the communications link.

Ron soon found himself with three sets of eyes on him, looking for orders... he had just the plan.

"We're going straight in, with Syntho's guarding the place there's no percentage in a stealth infiltration. Best just to hit them hard." This statement earned nods from the rest of the team. "Rufus, you're with Betty tonight, keep her safe and help her with her mission."

"hnuk, Hu-Ahhh!" Came the response from the naked mole rat.

"And just what is my mission?" Betty asked with a smile. _This is just what I needed, it feels so good to get back in the saddle again!_

"You are to secure the Pan Dimensional Vortex Inducer and take down Drakken, after that you'll need to find the usual self destruct." He explained to her as he saw the access to the lair and made to pull off the road.

"And just what will you be doing amongst all of this?" Came the question from the brown haired beauty. _Like I don't know what is left, his normal role, but with a twist... I better tell him about my best female friend._

"I shall be playing the distraction as per normal, BUT I'll be doing it by showing Shego just what Duff got that day, she wants to see and experience it that badly, so be it." He said with an evil smirk.

"Sounds like a great plan. Any other questions?" Came the question from the young genius.

"Well I have one more question... pink?" Her slender finger pointed at the power bands on her battlesuit.

"Ummm... it was the only colour of smart fabric I had left?" Wade said with a overly enthousiastic smile.

"Try again hackerboy." Betty gave him a look that said 'do you really think I got where I am now by buying crap like that?'.

"I'm curious too, it looks awesome on her but why pink?" Ron grinned as he anticipated whatever his friend was hiding.

"Umm... ah..." The genius struggled to find an answer as one amused and one not so amused gaze fell upon him via the video link. A pop up on his computer then appeared as his savior, "I'm getting increase power readings folks, up and at 'em, go in there and retrieve the PDVI and show Drakken and Shego what for! Signing off!" And with a blip he was gone.

"Saved by a blue idiot...we'll corner him on this later." Ron laughed as he reached for his door handle.

"Wait, there is one more thing we should talk about Ron." Betty spoke, reaching over to place a hand on Ron's arm.

XIV.

Shego smiled when the drivers door opened and Ron Stoppable stepped out, but her joy was tempered by who she knew was behind door number two.

_And here comes the Princess and there goes all chances of fun this evening._

The door of the GT swung open... _Stoppable has tastes almost as expensive as my own_... and out came a leg wrapped in a black fabric with pink accents.

_Wait, Kimmie wears white and blue... new suit?_

Then the person stood fully and stepped away from the car... _ok, dark hair, nice build, twin .45s and a stance that says she's been around the block... who are you?_

Shego mindlessly reached over and zoomed in the camera as she scanned the nails on her other hand... _soon time to sharpen these again..._ her jaw dropped as she looked up at the face now clearly displayed on the monitor.

Dr. Betty Director.

_Now this complicates things... not! _Having her best female friend attack her lair was novel enough that it got a chuckle out of the villainess.

It had begun with the stupidest thing, Shego had tried to escape and in the process had destroyed a sizable amount of Global Justice equipment, mainly out of spite, partially for fun. Dr. Betty Director had come down to read her the riot act and Shego had taken it with her usual snarky attitude until she had noticed Betty was dressed in civilian clothes, very nice and expensive civvies at that. She had commented on this, and a surprised Global Justice leader had responded. A weird friendship had been formed that day. The rule was simple, never talk about work always 'girly' things.

Shego had realized she needed a best girl friend to talk things like this over with, to discuss fashion, makeup and most important of all, relationships. She knew Betty had no one at all to talk to as a fellow woman, subordinates didn't make for good confidantes when it came to relationship issues and with no family around except for that idiot Gemini she was shit out of luck. Shego herself was in no better shape, all she had to choose from was DNAmy, and that was no choice to begin with, or Adrena Lynn... and in that case it was a 'Freaky' short of a full plotline.

It had kept Shego sane sitting there in that cell and kept Betty a happier woman at the same time.

Sure Shego escaped and was recaptured, that was work... the latest issue of 'Cosmo'? That was 'Girl' time.

Seeing Betty and Stoppable together on the security cameras she realized that Ron was one subject that had never come up, being too close to the 'no work talky' rule to really get into, but she imagined Betty already knew about what the Princess had done.

XV.

"So you and Shego talk that much?" Ron asked as he stepped from the car and placed the Lotus Blade on his back once again.

Betty reluctantly moved from the comfortable leather and stood with a stretch next to the car before speaking, "Yeah, usually every other day when we have her in custody... what can I say, it's nice to have another woman to talk to now and then."

"No need to justify it to me, I talk with Felix about 'guy' stuff all the time. I'm just glad you have someone to talk 'girl' stuff with no matter who it is." He spoke as he came around to face her a goofy grin on his face.

Betty closed the distance between them, her left hand came up to his chest, her vision focused on his, "You have to be the most understanding and accepting man in history." _Here it goes... I want him to know before we go in, just in case... you can never know..._

"No I'm just Ron, nothing special, just me." He spoke with a pink tinge to his cheeks.

"All the better because that's what I need in my life." With those words she brought her hands to the sides of his face, pulling him down as she stood on her toes to take what she knew she wanted.

Her lips met his and she felt him stiffen before returning the kiss vigorously, his hands running up and down her back. To her the minutes stretched out into eternity. Here was the feeling she had been looking for, the passion and the comfort with just a hint of protectiveness. Betty Director had found her heaven on Earth.

Much to her surprise though she felt him break the kiss.

"I have to admit something to you." Ron spoke in a near whisper, his voice heavy. _Here it goes, time to flush it all down the toilet..._

She opened her eye and noticed his pained expression. _Damn... did I push too hard? Maybe it's too soon... _"O-Ok, whatever it is Ron, you can tell me." Betty found herself stumbling over her words. _There you go, sounding like the love struck teenager you never got to be Betty! Maybe thats a good thing though... but I hope he doesn't say this is wrong, it feels too right!_

"I've used a small bit of my power since we started talking tonight to read some of your thoughts. I needed to know why you really sat down with me. Please don't be offended but I didn't want to take the risk that Kim had decided to go all out and sic GJ on my case too. I know you care for me and I want you to know that I feel the same way about you. Maybe we can talk more about it later, if you still want anything to do with me." His voice became low and nearly cracked as he finished.

Betty watched him as he confessed, his chin in his chest, his eyes showing such pain. _He can't even trust people anymore because of her and it tears him apart._

"Ron, I know you didn't do it to hurt me, and after what you've been through I think I'd be doing the same if I had the capability. It's not right that you should have to feel that way anymore. I do care for you very deeply and I definitely want to talk more later. I would like it if you could trust me as much as I trust you right now, which is unconditionally." Betty said the last part in a rush, after all she had been through saying those few words took more effort than any mission over the years.

Looking into her eyes he found he didn't need to use his powers to see the truth in what she had just said, it was clear in the glow in her one eye.

"I think I'd really like to have that talk with you Betty..." He said as he moved in for another kiss on her widely smiling lips only to be interrupted by a crashing noise coming from the trees on the other side of the road.

Instantly the two warriors dropped into ready stances, Ron with his blade and Betty with her twin Colts.

XVI.

_They just kissed! Betty and Stoppable... she made a move on him? Or did he make a move on her? _Shego was rocked back in her chair as her mind went into overload at the scene on the monitor. On one hand she was pissed Betty had a boyfriend before her, on the other hand she realized that an arsenal of taunts and quips had been spread before her. _I wonder how red Betty gets when she blushes? Maybe I can make her as pink as the stripes on that battlesuit of hers. _With that thought Shego's lips curled into an evil grin. _This could be fun._

Still wearing the grin she thought for a moment, then pressed the button to release the Synthodrones. _Can't make this too easy for them._

XVII.

The next instant they were faced with a dozen Synthodrones and before Betty could even draw a bead on the lead zombie she felt the surge in energy beside her.

Ron became a whirlwind, the first two Synthos had their heads removed by the force of his palm strikes, and as he came around two more splattered from the impact of his heels. Dropping on his back amongst the remaining drones he spread his legs in a move the combined boy band dance moves, gymnastics and a heavy dose of Ninjitsu. His outspread legs began to spin as he became a humanoid typhoon and cut down the remaining drones in that group, leaving only a splattered circle of green guck. He slowed and flipped to his feet, shaking the goo off his shoes.

Betty was stunned at the display of power and skill, the dozen drones had been reduced to scattered puddles of synthogoo quicker than they had appeared. _So humble and honest, so loving... but with such power._ She couldn't help but feel a warmth from him through it all and at that instant her mind remembered the scroll from so many years before... _the wielder of the Lotus Blade will have great power, but it will be balanced by a heart equally as large._

"How you loaded?" Ron asked as he came back to her side, nodding towards the pistols Betty had ready in her hands.

Snapping from her thoughts she replied, ".45 ACP hollow points, should knock out a Syntho pretty well."

To prove her point she quickly brought up her right weapon and fired, striking an approaching 'drone square in the chest, the round expanding to make the goo blast out the back of it's suit and drop it into a rapidly spreading mess.

"Yeah, that seems effective." Ron said with a goofy grin on his face before spinning and slicing a drone approaching them from behind from shoulder to hip with his blade and spinning to stab another before the first even hit the ground.

Seeing a drone split off and head for Betty he quickly willed the blade into a Bullwhip, cracking it hard enough at the Syntho to pierce it's skin and drop it in a sickly green puddle.

They both began to run up the trail, Ron shooting energy bursts at the drones that approached from ahead while Betty protected their flanks and rear with single aimed shots. She was in her element as a master markswoman, she knew she had limited ammo and she was going to make every shot count. _I could get used to missions again in a big hurry, how did I ever give up this rush!_ She looked over at Ron and saw him dispatch two four drones with a broad slash of the blade and remembered why she was on this mission and what had just transpired. _Back on missions and with a chance at the love I've always wanted, life is good._

Her pistols clicked to empty clips, "Ron! Cover me!" She took to a knee behind a large boulder at the side of the trail and scanned all around her as she expertly grabbed fresh clips from her belt pouches and shoved them home before re cocking the slides. All the while Ron stood watch over her, the sword transmutated into a lance.

A low rumble across the ground made them both look up the trail into a solid phalanx of drones marching in step towards them. Ron saw Betty begin to raise her freshly reloaded pistols and waved her down.

"What are you going to do?" She asked, concerned that he was going to try to take this large group of enemies on at once.

"I'm gonna mix a bit of the power of imagination with some hardcore mystical energy... time for a smackdown in my town!" He said with a laugh as he stood in the middle of the trail, his arms spread to either side.

Later she would be able to realize what she saw... Ron was fully aglow as two huge chunks of granite from opposite sides of the trail seemed to spark with blue energy. Slowly they levitated and then as they sat a foot off the ground they came together like a god snapping his fingers. When the dust cleared all that was left of the stones was a large pile of gravel mixed with the green lifeblood of the simulated humans... it had only taken a split second.

XVIII.

"So all that stuff Killigan said he did wasn't some painkiller induced hallucination..." Shego trailed off as she watched Ron tear apart the synthodrones as he made his way up the access road, Betty by his side with guns blazing. As the security camera she was watching from was obliterated by the flying shards of granite she turned from the screen a bit shaken. _That idiot Duff wasn't lying! Stoppable really is all that and a bag of chips... and Betty is with him, if only this were just Possible... I wanted this, I wanted him full power... be careful what you wish for. Betty's lucky, he's hot as hell these days!_

Shaking off the random thoughts she turned to the open lab door and screamed at her employer as she punched the lock down button, "DRAKKEN! We got real trouble here!"

XIX.

Sprinting the last yards to the main doorway of the lair they arrived just in time to see a massive reinforced steel gate drop before them.

"Looks like Drakken and Shego have been doing some renovations, this wasn't here the last time." Ron said with a nonchalant attitude as his glowing hand ran across the steel of the door.

"So, do I get a first hand demonstration of how you cracked that door at Killigan's place? It would make helping you re-writing the mission report so much easier if I had a visual aid." Betty suggested with a smile. _Come on, show off a bit... I wanna see the big, bad Monkey Master!_

"Nope, not gonna cut them apart today... Sensei said I should practice my high energy attacks and this seems the right time to do it, ready for this Rufus?" Ron questioned his pocket pal.

"hnuk, Pai Mei?" Came the squeaked question.

"Yes," Ron said to his best friend before turning to Betty, "You should back off a ways, Pai Mei's Power Punch packs quite a wallop and I don't want you getting caught by it. Besides it takes a minute to charge up for it and I need you to watch my back."

"Aye, aye Skipper!" She responded as she moved off behind a line of nearby rocks keeping her eye on Ron the whole time.

She saw Ron assume the Lotus position before the door, his body alight in the blue fire of his power as his palms lay flat against the steel. The glow moved to the door itself, covering it like a living sheet, writhing and wiggling with the blue energy. Suddenly Ron's eyes flew open and there was a large groaning screech that echoed through the surrounding area followed by a huge crash... in a blink the massive hunk of metal was no longer there.

Betty watched him get up and shake himself off before he ran into the structure, sword drawn. Snapping back to reality she ran after him all the while trying to remember what the scrolls had said about the limits of the Chosen One's powers.

She had now caught up with Ron and observed for herself what the massive crash had been. The steel door... _the four foot thick steel door_... was now embedded in the far wall of the lair having taken with it the vast majority of the synthodrones ready to face them.

Shaking off her shock Betty remembered her part in the plan and made for the laboratory chamber where Wade had detected the emissions of the PDVI.

"Rufus! Go with Betty." Ron commanded as he moved into the main chamber of the lair and Betty split off to the side passage.

Betty felt Rufus climb her leg as she made her way down the corridor. Wade's calculations had predicted they had plenty of time to disable Drakken's death ray before it 'actively disassembled' itself, but she had never been a person to cut things close. Feeling a presence behind her she spun around to find a rapidly spreading pile of green goo combined with a red uniform on the floor.

"hnuk, Splatter!" Came the cheery cry from her shoulder.

Turning her eyes to the naked mole rat she found his tiny forepaws alight with the same blue glow his master controlled.

"You did that Rufus?" Betty asked, both her eyebrows rapidly heading for her hairline. _Ok, so Rufus has the power too? Back in the hall I thought that was just Ron's glow around him. Now I know why he's with me!_

"Yeah, protect Betty!" Came the squeak from the hairless hero.

"Thanks Rufus! Watch my back, we're getting close." She saw him salute in response before turning to do as she instructed.

Resuming her run Betty found the door to the inner chamber of the lair and with it the mad scientist she sought.

Without turning the blue skinned man spoke, "Go away Buffoon, I'm creating here and I don't wish to be disturbed! Synthodrones! ATTACK!"

At the opposite sides of the huge lab doors slid open revealing two groups of synthos that surged forward to the two heroes.

Rufus standing on Betty's left shoulder cried out, "Rufus got left!"

"Ok little buddy," she smiled at her use of Ron's usual way of addressing his pet, "I have the right!"

With mystical blasts on the left and ACP rounds on the right the opposition was quickly dispatched in a deadly dance that lasted only moments and left Betty and Rufus standing tall behind Drakken.

"Where's the PDVI?" Came the bark from Betty, both pistols up and pointed at the back of the demented man's head.

"Who are you to... you're not the Buffoon! Who are you... to ask..." Drakken's voice disappeared and he became a very pale shade of eggshell blue as he turned to stare down the barrels of the big Colt .45 Automatics. From his perspective the muzzles each looked big enough to park a semi in and the single eye above and behind them held promise that they would be used. Scanning the room he saw there was no one or thing left to help him

"PDVI... NOW!" Came the loud growl from Betty, she was in no mood to mess around.

"Here... just don't hurt me!" Drakken's voice quivered as he handed over the metallic cylinder wrapped with small LEDs.

"Now, what to do with you..." Betty let her voice trail off as she looked at the man... _man, now thats a joke in reference to this..._ before her. Her lips curled into a nasty, even evil, smirk as she quickly flipped one of her pistols around in her hand, engaging the safety as it moved and brought it down hard on the bad Doctor's neck.

"Drewbie fall down..." Came the moan from the mulleted maniac as his eyes rolled back into his head and he dropped like a sack of potatoes.

Quickly securing his hands and feet in handcuffs from a pouch, she then strapped the Pan Dimensional Vortex Inducer to her belt making sure it couldn't come loose.

"Come on Rufus, lets see how Ron is doing!" Betty called to her teammate as she ran back towards the sounds of an ongoing fight.

XX.

Shego had just entered the main chamber of the lair when the blast door went sailing past her, missing her by inches but crushing the Synthodrones he had hoped would run interference for her. Stepping forward into the devastated space she spotted her opponent stepping through the remains of the shattered doorway.  
She couldn't resist the words as she looked at the glowing form of Ron Stoppable, "I've heard of getting your shine on but this is unreal!"

"I see you still have the same sense of humor Shego... and tonight you and I get to dance for once." He advanced towards her with measured steps.

"Yeah I saw you smacking lips with Betty Director out front, what is Kimmie going to say? She got mad when I tried to make you glow like this before, now Betty is not only letting you glow but kissing you? I'd say the two of you are better off running for a far corner of the planet than worrying about me and Dr. Doofus." Shego said with a smile as she too came to a ready stance facing her opponent.

"I really don't care what Kimberly thinks about Betty and myself, in case you didn't know Kim and I are no longer a couple... I don't even live with her anymore!" With those words he threw a kick at her midsection which she barely dodged but in doing so nearly walked right into a punch that came like a lightning bolt from her left.

_How can he move like that? Even Princess with her years of training couldn't get the second move in that fast._ Shego found herself fighting off attacks to all parts of her body. Some were based on Krav Maga, some were Ninjitsu and some of the attacks appeared so random and without any noticeable form she wondered where they came from. As she became more frustrated with the fight she felt her comet powers surge and finally she gave in, lighting her hands and shoving Ron backwards with a bolt of plasma that didn't even seem to singe his shirt.

He came back at her with a blue fire around him, his hair blown by an wind she couldn't feel. She remembered the rants Monty had gone on about Stoppable and some kind of mystical power he possessed, she knew now what all the fuss was about.

"I like the blue, good colour for ya, goes well with your hair." Shego quipped as she unleashed a volley of plasma blasts towards her blonde opponent.

"Coming from someone with a glow all her own I guess I should take that as a compliment." Ron said as he dropped into a ready stance and formed a shield around himself, absorbing all the green energy.

The green plasma swirled around the blue streamers encircling his body as he stood to his full height, his hands clenched into fists.

"Hey! Green plasma is my gig, you got your own!" Shego snarled at him as she charged him, claws held high to strike.

"I'm sorry, how rude of me, "As he spoke Ron brought his now glowing fists upwards, aiming them at the rapidly approaching beauty, "HAVE IT BACK!" Ron screamed as the stored energy flew from his hands, the plasma forming with his own mystic energy to form an aquamarine bolt.

Shego found herself flying backwards and impacting the concrete wall of the lair. Laying at the base of the wall she quickly ran a check before getting up. _Yeah those ribs are definitely cracked... knee hurts like hell too... I can't keep this up! He's more powerful than I am... I'll have to win some other way than brute force. _

She knew that no matter how strong Stoppable had become he still had weaknesses. The proverbial light bulb went off in her head as a feminine figure clad in black and pink walked into the opposite side of the chamber away from her partner for the night. _He'd never let a partner take a shot, and if he did it would devastate him...sorry Betty, alls fair in love and war!_ Came her thoughts as she charged up a massive bolt of her plasma and fired at the brown haired woman.

Betty Director knew she was caught, she was too close to get out of the way and her suit wasn't equipped with a power shield big enough to deflect this... _if he reads thoughts I hope he reads this... I love you Ron._

XXI.

Betty and Shego both gasped as Ron seemed to shimmer and was instantly in front of Betty, the sword drawn and deflecting the plasma. For Shego the shock only increased as she looked into his eyes. Soft, cocoa brown had been replaced with cold, steel blue. His face was now set in a menacing glare... and then he spoke.

"You shouldn't have done that... now you're playing with the big dog. WOOF! WOOF!" His voice dripped of menace with a strong pinch of evil.

The green skinned villainess grew even paler, his voice was just like **his** voice. The one who had threatened to feed her to the fishes, the only evil genius to ever get the better of her, the one person to ever truly scare her. _Zorpox._

"No... no, it can't be you... Drakken and Princess put you back in your cage!" Shego looked at him in sheer disbelief.

"My dear Shego... you have to understand that 'Zorpox' is always a part of me, he knows how to pick the lock on his cage whenever he needs to." He advanced towards her, sword at the ready... he stopped and looked at the weapon for a moment before sheathing it on his back. "Let's do this the old fashioned way, shall we?" He cracked his knuckles as he dropped into a fighting stance, his hands aglow with mystic energy. "BETTY! Get Blue Boy and lets blow this joint!"

"You got it!" Betty said to his back as she ran with Rufus to collect Drakken, the PDVI securely strapped to her belt. _He is Zorpox and Ron all at once? He must have found true balance! Later... ask him about it later!_

As soon as Betty had left Shego charged Ron, her fists alight as she tried her best to protect her ribs and favor her knee. He easily blocked her attacks which only enraged the young woman further causing her to become more direct and brutal. Ron blocked a hard, plasma encased, shot to his face with a hard palm to Shego's lower right arm and heard the distinctive snap of the bone breaking. She screamed and backed off, circling around her opponent as she willed the pain down.

"You can't beat me Shego. I have the Mystical Power and very few on this world can touch me... please stop now and surrender. I won't think any less of you for it." Ron pleaded, not wanting to hurt her any more than he already had.

Unfortunately his compassionate plea fell on deaf ears, Shego had never been defeated, she thought of every one of her battles with Princess as a draw because they always went away to fight another day and here was her sidekick asking her to capitulate... not only that but he wasn't only the sidekick, he was Zorpox... all of this combined to bring Shego to her breaking point. _Surrender? Not while I still draw breath!_

"I WILL NOT BE BEATEN BY YOU!" Came the feral scream from Shego's lips as she charged in with death in her eyes. Her remaining good hand blazing with green fire as she slashed wildly at him.

Ron quickly braced to accept the hit, his hand encased in a blue glow grabbing that of his opponent and flinging her into a nearby computer panel. The panel buckled under the impact and Shego slid to the floor her left leg at an odd angle and a massive bruise forming on the left side of her face. Moving cautiously towards the villainess he found her completely out.

Suddenly there came a disembodied electronic voice from the ceiling that sounded something like DNAmy, "Self Destruct activated. You have 8 minutes to leave in an orderly fashion. Please have a wonderful day."

"Oh Snap, where now where is Betty, we really do have to blow this joint!" Ron said aloud as she hoisted Shego's unconscious form over his shoulders, trying to be protective of her injuries.

To his relief he saw Betty come running in with Drakken over her shoulders in a fireman's carry, Rufus skittering across the floor in front of her. Both came to a sliding stop at the sight before them. Shego was slung over Ron's shoulder, her right arm and left leg at unnatural angles and a massive bruise forming on the pale skin of her face.

"What happened Ron?" Betty said with concern etched on her features. She was not only mildly concerned for the villainess but wondered how the gentle soul that had shared a plate of nachos with her earlier that night had done such damage to another human.

Ron sensed her concern, "She pushed Betty, remember what I said happened after the Killigan mission between her and Kim? Well tonight Kim wasn't here to get in the way and with what she tried to do to you... well you said I couldn't hold back and I didn't. I won't say I'm proud of this, but I don't see how it could have happened any other way."

Betty considered his words and saw the truth in them, but moreover she saw the pain in his eyes. It may have been necessary to inflict such damage, but Ron still regretted it all. _His heart is too big not to be damaged by what he had to do, that's what makes him different. Everything Kimberly did to him and he still hasn't become cold and unfeeling... I can't wait to get him home and comfort him. _She offered him a warm smile to reassure him and saw his eyes brighten in response.

"This base will self destruct in 2 minutes, continue to have a wonderful day." Came the electric monotone of the computer as it called off the countdown.

Ron had to laugh, "You know if it wasn't for the fact that we have to run for our lives that would be funny... Gimme Drakken." He commanded Betty as he moved towards her.

As soon as he felt the mad scientist was secure on his shoulder he motioned Betty towards the exit, Rufus was on her shoulder hanging on with all four paws as Ron followed behind them at a dead run. Mission accomplished.

XXII.

They stood watching the lair burn, Shego and Drakken on the ground before them in no shape to offer resistance, when his PDA sounded its electronic tone.

Ron flipped it out of its protective pouch to find the screen already on, Wade's excited face already splashed across it.

"Astounding Ron! I hacked Drakken's computers and cameras soon after you smashed in, this was better than the Killigan job... oh, a GJ cleanup squad and med team is about 5 minutes out. Is Shego going to be ok that long?" Wade, being the good person he is had hacked the GJ mainframe and knew of the friendship between Betty and the former heroine.

"I already checked her vitals, she'll be fine for that long..." She trailed off as she noticed a white van with large decals pulling up to the access road. _Media? Already?_

Ron instantly knew who the van belonged to, it had been there like a vulture on every local mission. He knew this station would be a hassle because they were Kim Possible's biggest fans... _so much for no bias in the news media. _He looked at Wade over the comm link, "How did they get here so fast? We only got the call a few hours ago and that was supposed to have been a secret."

Wade's face split into a grin, "I have no idea Ron, but make sure to tell them all about Team Stoppable and your new website... TeamStoppable dot com!" And with that the boy genius cut the comm signal... which was good because Ron's mind caught up with Wade's words a split second later.

"My website... Team Stoppable... why that little! Betty, he called them!" Ron gestured sharply at the news crew now sprinting to meet them.

XXIII.

"This is Miranda Cardenal from Channel 4 Action News with a special report live from Mt. Middleton which tonight was the scene of a pitched battle." Began the reporter as she gestured to the ruins behind her. "This now destroyed structure was the site of a supposed attempt by Andrew Lipsky, aka Dr. Drakken, to take over the world with the assistance of a yet unknown piece of possibly stolen top secret technology. The attempt was stopped by hometown heroes Team Possible..."

"Ahem! It was not Team Possible who saved the world this night." The cold clear voice of Betty Director cut off the local news personality, causing the camera to swing towards her. _I had to go and open my mouth... but it's all for Ron, and that makes it worthwhile._

Miranda could not believe her luck, she had been at the station getting ready for the late news and had been the only reporter with live broadcast experience in the studio when the anonymous call came in so the duty director had no choice but to send her. Now she had the head of Global Justice standing in front of her, she could almost feel the awards that would result.

"Dr. Betty Director, was Global Justice involved in the events here tonight?" The reporter asked, shoving the microphone into the older ladies face.

"No, Global Justice was NOT involved with what happened here tonight, I am here as a private citizen. The hero tonight is Ronald Stoppable, formerly of Team Possible, he has now formed his own team of which I am proud to be a member... Team Stoppable." Betty said as she grabbed Ron's arm and hauled him in front of the camera.

_Thanks Betty!_ Shot through Ron's mind as he tried to think of what to say in answer to the question he knew was coming.

"Mr. Storable..." Miranda began.

"That's Stoppable!" Betty growled as she shot an icy glare at the reporter. _She's is going to get it right even if I have to spell it to her!_

"... yes, Mr. Stoppable," The reporter stumbled, scared at the look given her by the career law enforcement officer, "you are no longer a member of Team Possible then? Is this related to your breakup with Kim Possible?" As she regained control the questions came rapid fire.

"I... um..." Ron stuttered as he tried to think of just what to say. He thought of earlier, sitting in the bar as Betty offered to come on the mission. Of making a final break with Kim and everything that meant. He took a deep breath and spoke, "I am still a member of Team Possible as long as the leader, Kim Possible wants me to be so. As for my past relationship with Kim Possible that is a private matter but we remain friends..." He heard a snarl from Betty and Rufus at that comment, but he was trying to be civil... "and I would ask that you in the press respect our privacy on that issue. Team Stoppable is a new team I have formed with myself and my Naked Mole Rat best friend Rufus as the core members, persons like Betty are also members of the team, but not on every mission. For more information I suggest you and your viewers look at my website, Team Stoppable Dot Com." He finished, his demeanor having changed from a nervous wreck to a confident, well spoken leader in the space of a few short sentences.

Betty looked on with pride as the reporter began going over the events of the evening and Ron handled it like a pro. He spoke with confidence, never revealing one drop of information that shouldn't be in the public domain. Soon she heard the approach of the GJ cleanup crews and the team of agents needed to secure the area. She walked away from the mini press conference with confidence that Ron could handle it as well as she could. _I was right! Away from Kimberly he shines!_

Ron was still feeling uncomfortable but found it was easy to answer the questions coming from Miranda. He knew that if he didn't play the Big Dog, at least partially she would walk all over him, but with Rufus there to support him he felt good about it. He noticed Betty walk off to talk with the newly arrived troopers and return with a squad, she then interrupted the petite reporter. _Betty trusted me, she didn't hover to make sure I said the right thing, she trusted me._ Ron had never been given such a fine compliment as he had at that moment.

"I'm sorry but we'll have to cut this short, we have to secure the area and the suspects for transport, thank you in advance for your co-operation." Betty spoke with a voice that left no room for argument. _I want to get him away from here so we can have that talk._

With a flash of his smile Ron promised a press release sometime soon and the news crew was hustled away by a pair of burly GJ officers.

XXIV.

While Ron walked off to pack the Pan Dimensional Vortex Inducer for transport back to the 'secure' facility where it was normally stored Betty decided to check on her now conscious friend.

The woman in the nearly destroyed black and green bodysuit smiled as she approached.

"So you and Stoppable, huh?" Began Shego as she lay back on a gurney, splints on her right arm and left leg.

As per usual with her conversations with the villainess things went right to the heart of the matter, "Seems like it... the kiss you brought up earlier?" She saw Shego nod, "That was our first." Betty proceeded to get a bit red in the face as the memory filled her with a warm sensation.

"I take it from your reaction he's good?" Shego couldn't help but ask, part of it was the need to tease her best female friend, but the bigger part was curiosity. Shego had seen Ron grow from an awkward boy into a very strong, handsome and capable man. In depths she would never admit to she was actually jealous of Betty Director. _To have that chance with someone that special, and to take it is a wonderful thing. I wish I would have had that kind of opportunity._

The smile on Betty's face changed to a sly grin, "Well lets just say I'm glad the battlesuit drains excess heat from the body and converts it to power... I have a full charge."

Shego had to smile, "Damn, why didn't I grab him before... can I borrow him sometime?"

"No," Betty replied with a chuckle, "I'm keeping all the Ronshine to myself!"

"Too bad," Shego laughed then turned serious, "but at least you got him away from the Princess. I've been watching what she did to him over the past few years. It's certainly left me with many reasons to kick her ass."

Betty nodded in full agreement, "She never deserved someone as good as him, not the way she acted. I only learned the full story at Maxwell's tonight, I never knew one person could take that much and stay standing, let alone rise above like Ron has."

"He's one in a million." Shego sighed. "Now that he's working with all his powers I think it's time for me to step it up or step out... tonight was fun, don't get me wrong... but I don't know if I can lose to him on a regular basis without going berserk!"

Betty again nodded her agreement then noticed Ron walking towards them with Rufus on his shoulder and spoke to her immobilized comrade, "Speak of the devil... I'll try to get in to see you sometime soon, girl talk."

"Thanks, I want the full scoop on Ronnie, all the details... and I don't do metric, size in inches please and thank you." Shego delivered the line with a poker face that could win millions and then broke into a laugh as she saw Betty's normally stern face turn 40 shades of red in a second.

XXV.

"What's so funny ladies?" Ron had to ask as he came up to the two of them, noticing Shego was alternating between laughing and wincing due to her injuries and Betty was heading for human tomato country. _She looks hot when she blushes all over like that._

Rufus had a smile on, his excellent hearing had picked up the conversation, including the last line delivered with skill by the green baddie.

"Well... we, I should say... Shego..." Stumbled Betty as she recovered from the brain blast layed on her by her best female friend.

The Cheshire cat smile decided to save her friend, "Girl talk Ronnie, nothing to concern yourself with."

Betty shot him a look that said he better listen.

"Oh, Ok... the EMT's treating you well?" Ron said quickly trying to find a new subject.

"Oh yeah, the one named Tony is pretty cute... I'll have to see if he likes bad girls." Shego said with a slightly evil smirk.

Betty had to chuckle, from their talks she knew how very well Shego treated boys who liked 'bad girls'. _But I also have my own tricks I want to try on Ron._

"You do know you didn't have to push me that far, right?" Ron asked the raven haired woman with a serious voice after a pause.

"I knew, but I wanted to know if what Duff said was right, I wanted to know how powerful you really are. I knew the risks involved so don't worry about me." Shego said in a soft voice as she looked up at the blonde man standing proud before her.

"I always worry, it's what I do." Came the simple reply as the emotions flowed from his chocolate brown orbs.

Upon hearing this Betty spoke, "That's why all your friends care about you Ron, because we know you always have our backs."

Shego smiled at the comment, "Heck even those of us that **try** to kick your ass respect you for that. Tonight you could have crippled me for good, but you don't have it in you to do that... and it isn't a weakness."

"Are you going to stay put in the hospital at least until all this heals then?" Ron asked as he gestured at his handiwork.

"I will, but on two conditions..." Shego began.

"Well I see she isn't too banged up, she can still do extortion." Betty said with a smile earning an annoyed snort from the villainess.

"As I was saying before I was so rudely interrupted, I have two conditions for keeping my ass in a hospital bed until all is well. One is that you," she pointed to Betty, "will be paying me a visit from time to time to keep me sane. And the second condition is that you," she pointed at Ron, "will make me at least one meal in every two day period... do you both agree?" Shego finished, her eyes in a glare that flipped between the two do-gooders before her.

"Done!" Came the simultaneous call from both Ron and Betty, much to the amusement of Rufus.

XXVI.

Together they watched the GJ ambulance pull away with it's heavy escort of police, as it was lost from view they turned to look at each other.

"We have to go in and file an after action report, don't we?" Ron asked as he took her hands in his own.

"Hmm... no we don't, since I have to review all the AARs and I also have to write this one we have a bit of a reprieve." She said with a smile.

"A reprieve? How much of one?" He said with a mischievous grin as he took her into a hug.

"Say tomorrow afternoon, after **we** get back from Temple maybe?" She inquired with a smile as she melted into his arms.

"Is my procrastination wearing off on you? I don't want to be a bad influence on the leader of Global Justice." His arms gently caressed her.

Her smile became wider as she caught the joking tone in his voice, "You could never be a bad influence on me... well maybe in one way you could be..." Her voice trailed off as she stood on her toes and came up for a kiss, her arms around his neck as their lips and tongues met in a passionate dance.

After what seemed like an eternity they parted, her eye on his deep brown orbs, wide smiles on both faces.

"So, you up for some snackage partner? If you are I know this badical chef-in-training that would love to whip you up something." Ron delivered the invitation with a grin as they began walking hand in hand towards his car.

"Sounds good." Betty replied with a warm purr as they walked, her grin matching that of her partner as she pulled his arm around her and snuggled in.

Rufus just kicked back in his friends pocket, enjoying the fact that love may have returned... scratch that... love may have been truly found.

AN: I gave Betty some back story, I figure her grandpa being in the OSS and father being in the CIA is a good starting point for how she became the director of Global Justice. In her case it's all in the upbringing. William 'Wild Bill' Donovan, 'Intrepid' and the Office of Strategic Services (OSS) are worth your time to read up on folks, sometimes real life makes fiction look boring. Oh, and some have asked me when (or if) Kimmie herself will make an appearance in this story... the answer is YES she will, in the next chapter. Lash yourself to the mast, Hurricane Kimberly will be making landfall. **_Booyah!_**

Please read and review and I'll take the good and the bad, I enjoy them all. Thanks for reading!


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